Chronicles of Wutai
by Nintendoman01
Summary: A companion piece to my fic, Kingdom Hearts III: Darkest Storm, post-KH3D. After failing his Mark of Mastery exam, Sora comes across the world of Wutai. This is the story of what he did there during the six-month gap between Kingdom Hearts 3D and Darkest Storm...
1. Prologue - Welcome to Wutai

_**Chronicles of Wutai  
**_

 _ **By Nintendoman01**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

I do not own _Kingdom Hearts_ or its associated characters. I make no profit from this story and just write it to kill time and have fun. I do, however, own Hikari and the inhabitants of Wutai in this story.

 **Author's Note:**

This story is an idea I had while grappling with my writer's block for _Kingdom Hearts III: Darkest Storm._ This story is meant to be a companion piece/prequel to that story, telling what Sora was doing between the six months between _Kingdom Hearts 3D_ and _Darkest Storm_ , inspired by the "Training Series" written by Kristen Verne.

This fic will detail how Sora came to Wutai, what he did there, and also how my OC Hikari fell for him.

As I've said before, constructive criticism is appreciated, but _**NO FLAMES**_. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's as simple as that.

* * *

 **\- Prologue -**

 **Welcome to Wutai**

* * *

 **Traverse Town  
**

A lone boy, around sixteen years old, stood in the center of an old fashioned town, a little horned creature that resembled a cross between a cat and a dog standing next to him. The boy was dressed in a blue shirt under a black short-sleeved hoodie, black fingerless gloves and sneakers, black baggy shorts with red pouches on the sides, and a silver chain necklace with a crown-shaped pendant around his neck. The boy was Sora, a young Keyblade wielder, and the creature next to him as a Meow Wow Dream Eater.

Sora had spent the last few weeks training with the Dream Eaters in Traverse Town after failing the Mark of Mastery exam. While he had improved and learned some new tricks, he still didn't feel ready to rejoin his friends yet, and felt there was nothing left for him to learn in Traverse Town. It was time to move on.

"Well, it's time for me to go, boy," he said to the Meow Wow, which looked up to him and let out a sad whimper. Sora smiled and scratched it behind the ears. "Don't worry. I'll come back and visit."

Accepting that, the Meow Wow rubbed up against his leg. Giving the creature one final smile, Sora exited the front gate and decided to officially break out one of his new toys.

Sora closed his eyes and touched the crown pendant around his neck, and almost immediately, he was sheathed in a bright light. When it died down, he was dressed in a full suit of Keyblade Armor, colored black and navy blue with small touches of red and yellow to match his clothes, complete with an enlarged crown insignia on the chest to match his necklace.

Summoning the Kingdom Key to his hand, Sora pointed it straight forward and projected a beam of light from the tip, the beam opening a portal similar to a corridor of darkness, but bathed in silver light. Then, with a flourish, he threw his Keyblade into the air, the Keyblade transforming into a jet-powered board with a yellow-and-silver color scheme.

With that, Sora mounted the Keyblade Glider and flew into the portal, which closed behind him.

* * *

 **The Lanes Between  
**

Sora quietly made his way through the Lanes for some time, trying to decide where to go.

Almost in response to that thought, a world loomed up before him, one he knew he had never seen before. From his perspective in the Lanes, it appeared to be a large sphere with a few small buildings that bore a resemblance to those in the Land of Dragons, as well as a large tree that appeared to have... pink leaves?

His curiosity peaked, Sora gunned the thrusters on his glider, deciding to check it out.

* * *

 **Wutai  
**

When Sora landed and deactivated his armor, he found himself in a small field, dotted with the strange pink-leaved trees. Said leaves were falling from the trees, and upon closer inspection, Sora realized that they were actually flower petals.

As the petals fell, Sora had to admit it was a rather beautiful sight, and found himself entranced by it, having never seen such a thing before.

"It really is a beautiful sight, isn't it?"

Sora nearly jumped out of his skin and turned to face the speaker.

Standing behind him was a girl around his own age, who Sora had to admit was quite pretty. She had thin, light pink lips and milky-white skin, both of which contrasted with the silky black hair that fell down to the small of her back, as well as bright green eyes. She wore an elegant yellow kimono that had a pattern of orange maple leaves stitched into the sleeves and skirt, with a red obi and hairband that bore a pattern of stylized white hearts. Finally, she wore simple white socks and sandals. Sora was slightly in awe of the beautiful girl in front of him, but quickly composed himself.

The girl smiled. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Sora waved a hand, dismissing it. "No, it's okay," He folded his arms behind his head. "I'm Sora, by the way."

The girl bowed respectfully. "My name's Hikari," She walked up to Sora and took a closer look. "You're from another world, aren't you?"

Sora took a step back, visibly surprised. "You know about other worlds?"

Hikari giggled. "Everyone in Wutai does," she replied. "It's pretty obvious. Your clothes... you're definitely not from around here."

Sora looked down at himself. "That's the first time anyone in any world have ever really mentioned my outfit," he said, before gesturing to the tree. "So, what's up with this tree?"

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "You've never seen a cherry blossom tree before?" Sora shook his head. "The trees blossom every spring and wilt after a week or two. People have been admiring these trees since the days of the Keyblade War."

That got Sora's attention. "You know about the Keyblade?"

Hikari gave him a blank look. "If we know about other worlds, then why wouldn't we know about the Keyblade?"

Sora conceded. "Point taken."

Hikari tilted her head quizzically. "But how exactly do _you_ know?" she asked, before realization dawned. "Unless..."

Sora nodded and held out his hand, summoning the Keyblade to his hand. Hikari gasped.

"Oh, my gosh!" she exclaimed. "You're a Keyblade wielder! I never thought I'd ever meet one!"

Sora grinned as he dismissed the Keyblade. "Well, then it's an honor to be the first."

"So, what brings you here?" Hikari asked.

Sora hesitated, wondering if he should trust this girl, and then shrugged. "I'm in training," he said. "A man named Xehanort is seeking Kingdom Hearts. I'm trying to stop him."

Hikari looked at him, realization dawning. "If he's after Kingdom Hearts, then that means he plans to..."

Sora nodded. "Yep. He's after the χ-blade."

Hikari's eyes widened in fear, and she suddenly grabbed Sora's hand. "Please, come with me," she said. "You need to meet someone right away."

"Uh, okay?" Sora said unsurely before Hikari dragged him forward with surprising strength for her size. Sora just let himself be dragged, partly because he figured he didn't really have a choice in the matter, and partly because he was quite curious who Hikari wanted him to meet.

It wasn't long before they reached a small village, which reminded Sora of the village on the mountainside of the Land of Dragons. Several people were out and about, walking around freely, and they all spared a few glances at the two teens before going back to their business.

Eventually, they reached a rather large hut in the center of the village, but as they approached the steps, a figure dropped down from seemingly nowhere and landed right in front of them.

The figure was tall, at least six inches taller than Sora and Hikari, and was clad in a black long-sleeved _shōzoku_ (1) with yellow designs on the shoulders, hips, and thighs that resembled lightning bolts, and a yellow belt around its waist, tied at the left hip rather than in the front, along with black _jika-tabi_ (2) shoes. Its face was hidden by a black mask with similar yellow designs on the rest of the costume, leaving only a pair of brown eyes visible.

Without warning, the figure drew a pair of sai from its belt and began to advance upon Sora, who quickly jumped back and summoned his Keyblade. At the sight of that, the figure stopped in its tracks, its eyes widening. Before Sora could do more than register the fact, Hikari stepped between the two.

"Stand down," she said in a calm but firm voice. "He's not an enemy, Seiko. I brought him here on urgent business."

After a moment, the figure, Seiko, nodded and put their sais away before calmly stepping aside.

"Sorry about that," Hikari said to Sora. "That was my bodyguard."

"Bodyguard?" Sora replied as Hikari led him up the steps. Just who was this girl?

As Hikari slid the door open and entered, she stopped to remove her sandals, replacing them with a pair of yellow slippers. Sora took a step forward, but Hikari raised a hand to stop him.

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to take off your shoes before you go any further." she said.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "You mind if I ask why?"

Hikari sighed, remembering that he wasn't from this world and thus was unfamiliar with their customs. "It's just something we do here. I'll explain later."

Sora shrugged his shoulders and obediently removed his sneakers, revealing a pair of black-and-yellow ankle-length socks underneath.

"Thank you," Hikari said before leading Sora into a large room which Sora assumed to be a meeting room. At the far end of the room was a small table

"Mama? Papa? I'm home!" Hikari called out. Sora looked at her incredulously; she dragged him all the way here just so he could meet her parents?

"Welcome home, daughter," a male voice cut in suddenly. Sora nearly jumped out of his skin as he looked over to the table at the far side and saw an older man, in his early thirties by the looks of it, sitting behind the table.

"What the?!" Sora exclaimed, looking to Hikari. "Where'd he come from? He wasn't there before!"

Hikari let out a giggle. "You get used to it. Anyway, Sora, I'd like you to meet my father, Hiro, ruler of Wutai."

Sora awkwardly raised a hand in greeting. "Uh, hiya," he said, before what Hikari said dawned on him.

"W... wait," he said, looking to Hikari. "Your dad's the ruler of this world?" Hikari nodded.

"And that makes you..."

"The princess," Hikari nodded.

Sora just stood there, dumbstruck, before Hiro's voice snapped him back to attention.

"Tell me, Hikari, who is this boy?" the older man asked, looking at Sora with an intense gaze that seemed to pierce into his soul.

Sora gulped and tried to form a coherent sentence in the wake of the man's stare. "Uh... well, sir... you see, I... moo?"

Hiro just rolled his eyes as Hikari giggled at their guest's nervousness before turning back to her father. "His name's Sora, Papa. I found him over by the cherry blossom trees."

Hiro looked over Sora again, his eyes softening; Sora let out the breath he had been unwittingly holding. "He's a visitor from off-world, isn't he?"

"Y-yes, sir," Sora explained. "See, I'm a Keyblade wielder, and I was just passing by. I thought I'd check this world out since I've never-"

"Keyblade?" Hiro interrupted, looking at Sora more closely. Sora nodded, summoning the Kingdom Key to his hand.

Hiro looked at him, jaw slightly agape. "As I live and breathe. A Keyblade Master, and one so young."

Sora shook his head as he dismissed his Keyblade. "No, sir. I'm not a master yet. I'm still in-training. But I need to get stronger, or that Xehanort creep will destroy everything."

"Xehanort?" Hiro asked, his eyebrow raised; the name sounded familiar. "And how does he plan to destroy everything?"

"He's trying to reforge the χ-blade, Papa," Hikari explained. "Sora told me so himself."

Hiro gasped, a shocked expression on his face.

* * *

 **Some time later...**

Sora sat before Hiro, Hikari, and Hikari's mother Akiko as he finished explaining the story. By the time he was finished, all three of them sat there, trying to process the information.

"Yeah, I know it's a lot to take in," Sora said. "But if Xehanort wins, everyone loses."

Hiro nodded. "Then we won't let him win."

Hikari looked at him, curious. "'We', Papa?"

Hiro nodded again and stood up, walking over to Sora. "If you need training, we're more than happy to help you," he said, raising the katana that was strapped to his waist. "I swear on the Twilight Blade I hold in my hands."

"Twilight Blade?" Sora asked. "Why do you call it that?"

Hiro said nothing, but unsheathed the sword. Sora gasped at the sight; the blade had an aura of mixed light and darkness all along the blade.

"This is why," Hiro explained. "We of Wutai are trained to accept light and darkness in equal shares. This blade, forged by my ancestor Raiden (3) during the days of the Keyblade War, is proof of that."

"The road to dawn." Sora said to himself, reminded of Riku's philosophy.

Hiro sheathed his blade. "We will begin training tomorrow," he said. "For now, I suggest you explore, get acquainted with this world."

Sora nodded. "Yes, sir. And thanks."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

(1): Ninja gi, more or less

(2): A type of split-toed Japanese outdoor footwear, modeled after tabi socks.

(3): An alternative name for Raijin, the Japanese god of thunder.

Well, this has been in the making for a while, but I finally finished the first chapter.

To explain why Sora hasn't used his Keyblade Armor or Glider yet in the main story, it's simple; he hasn't had a reason to yet. As for the character of Seiko... we'll learn more later.

Now, for the mental voice actors. As usual, these are just friendly suggestions; you're free to hear them as whoever you want:

* Hikari - Lauren Landa (Kasumi from _Dead or Alive 5_ onwards, Litchi Faye-Ling from _BlazBlue_ , Leia Rolando from _Tales of Xillia_ )

* Hiro - Kirk Thornton (Isa/Saïx from _Kingdom Hearts_ , Shadow the Hedgehog from _Sonic the Hedgehog_ , Kisame Hoshigaki from _Naruto_ )

* Akiko - Wendee Lee (Faye Valentine from _Cowboy Bebop_ , Yumi Komagata from _Rurouni Kenshin,_ Yoruichi Shihōin & Tatsuki Arisawa from _Bleach)_

Next chapter, Sora explores Wutai.

Please R&R. Until next chapter...


	2. Exploration

**\- Chapter 1 -**

 **Exploration**

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

You may have noticed the new cover photo. It's of Hikari herself, drawn by the amazing Kristen Verne at my request, and used as the cover with her permission. Once again, I'd like to thank Kris for doing that for me.

Okay, on with the show. Just so you know ahead of time, the descriptions of the areas may be vague or crappy, 'cause I've discovered that I'm _much_ better at describing character appearances than environments.

* * *

 **Village, Hikari's Home  
**

"Before you go out, Hikari will show you to our guest room," Hiro said to Sora.

Sora nodded. "Okay, sir," he turned to Hikari. "Lead the way."

Hikari nodded back and led Sora out of the room, leaving Hiro and Akiko alone. Akiko stood and made her way over to her husband, noticing the thoughtful expression on his face.

"Hiro, what's wrong?" she asked. Hiro turned to look at her, and shrugged.

"I sense something about that Sora boy," he said. "Something about his heart seems... different."

Akiko raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"

Hiro shrugged. "I'll explain later. Either way, we promised to help him, and I won't go back on my word."

 **XXXXX**

As this was going on, Hikari had led Sora to a room at the end of the hallway.

"Well, here it is," Hikari said, sliding the door open.

Sora stepped in. The first thing he noticed that the room was quite spacious, and the second thing was that it was rather... empty, aside from a dresser off to the side and what appeared to be a mound of quilts at the wall opposite the door.

He turned to Hikari, raising an eyebrow. "Uhh... where's the bed?" he asked.

Hikari snickered. "It's right over here."

She made her way to the mound of quilts by the wall, revealing that one of them was actually a folded-up mattress.

"That's my bed?" Sora asked, utterly bewildered.

Hikari looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yes. Haven't you ever heard of a futon before?"

Sora nodded. "Well, yeah, but the futons on my islands were different. They were built like couches and could be folded up so you could sit on them."

"I see," Hikari said. "Well, now that you've seen your room, shall we go see the town?"

Sora nodded, and with that, they made their way out.

* * *

 **Village  
**

Sora and Hikari exited the door of the main house and descended the steps, where they were met at the bottom by the mysterious ninja, Seiko, who had apparently been waiting for them to come out.

"He's going to be staying with us for further training," Hikari said simply.

"I see," Seiko said in an oddly effeminate voice before reaching up and removing their mask. Sora gasped at the sight, which was not what he was expecting.

As it turned out, Seiko was a fairly attractive woman, apparently the same age as Hiro and Akiko, if not a little older, with long black hair tied in a bun and fair skin, though not as pale as Hikari's. Seeing this, and reminded of a similar experience in the Land of Dragons, Sora felt a sense of déjà vu.

"Wait, you're a woman?" he blurted out. At that, Hikari cracked up laughing, and Seiko chuckled slightly.

"Yes, I'm a woman," Seiko said. "But don't worry. You're not the first person to make that mistake."

Getting her giggling fit under control, Hikari walked over to stand beside Seiko. "Now that that's done, Sora, I'd like to introduce you to Seiko. She's been my bodyguard for as long as I can remember."

Sora offered a hand in greeting. "Nice to meet you." After a moment, Seiko shook his hand.

"So, what exactly brings you here?" Seiko asked.

Sora went on to explain the story he had told Hikari and her parents. By the time he was done, Seiko was wide-eyed.

"That old fool," she said. "Xehanort would risk an apocalypse just to satisfy his own curiosity? He's mad."

"No kidding," Sora said flatly. "But that's why I'm here. My friends and I are trying to stop him from causing any more damage."

Seiko bowed respectfully. "You have our full support, Master Sora."

Sora reddened slightly. "Well... I'm not a Master _yet..._ "

Seiko just shrugged before replacing her mask. "As Lord Hiro said, your training will begin tomorrow. But for now, just see the sights. Lady Hikari?"

Hikari nodded. "Dismissed."

Seiko nodded back before stepping back and becoming a rocket, leaping high into the air like the laws of gravity simply did not apply to her and landing on the roof of the main house, from which she disappeared. Despite all of the amazing things he had seen over the years, Sora couldn't help but gape.

"Again, you get used to it," Hikari said simply. "Now then, shall we?"

Sora turned to her and nodded. "Sure."

 **XXXXX**

The first place Hikari took Sora to was a large fenced-in yard not too far from the main house. On the wall opposite the entryway were multiple bullseyes which Sora guessed were for archery training, and mounted on the wall were several wooden swords and bows.

"As I'm sure you've already guessed, this is the training yard," Hikari said simply. "We train in martial arts and _kyūdō_ (1) here."

Sora looked at her, confused. " _Kyūdō_?"

Hikari looked back at him. "Archery."

"Ohhhh..." Sora said simply. "Do you do it?"

Hikari nodded. "I have some experience, but I prefer swordplay."

 **XXXXX**

Hikari then took Sora to the main plaza of the town, where several bonsai (2) sat around the area, and in the dead center stood a tall statue of a man with long hair and a matching beard, a large sword in his hands.

"This statue was built in honor of my ancestor Raiden, who founded this town during the Keyblade War," Hikari explained. "Though he was not a Keyblade wielder himself, he still fought in it, as he was good friends with two Keyblade Masters who just so happened to live here."

That got Sora's attention. "Who were they?"

"You'll find out at our next stop." Hikari said simply.

 **XXXXX**

Sora was mildly surprised to that said next stop was none other than the Wutai cemetery. Hikari led him to a large shrine near the entry, where they entered.

Within were three coffins, all side by side and perfectly cared for, and behind them was a large painting in pristine shape, depicting Raiden himself, dressed in a gold-colored haori (2) with white hakama (3), alongside two other figures.

The one on Raiden's left was another man with spiky brown hair and blue eyes, dressed in a black kimono with a white crescent moon on the left side of his chest. In his hands was a Keyblade similar to Sora's own Kingdom Key, but with a slightly different shape to the teeth and and a more octagonal shape to the crown.

The one on his right was a beautiful woman with long brown hair, tied in a bun and held in place with a crescent moon-shaped clip, and blue eyes, dressed in a sky blue kimono with a pink obi and pink cherry blossoms decorating the skirt. In her hands was a Keyblade that reminded Sora of the Star Seeker, only with spike-like protrusions along the head and guard.

"The people you see here are Raiden and his two dearest friends, Oukoku and Kokoro Gatsu," Hikari explained. "According to legend, it was Oukoku himself who ended the Keyblade War. Kokoro also contributed, but could not do much, as she was pregnant at the time with their child, Hiroaki."

Sora looked thoughtfully at the picture, more specifically at Oukoku and Kokoro. For some reason, he felt some kind of connection to the two.

Hikari studied the painting for a moment, then looked at Sora again. "You know, it's funny. You kinda look like Kokoro and Oukoku, now that I can compare you and the painting."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "That's... weird."

* * *

 **Village, Hikari's Home  
**

It was nightfall by the time Sora and Hikari returned to the main house. Hiro was waiting for them.

"Welcome back," said Hiro. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes sir," Sora said. "You have quite an amazing world, and I was glad to see it."

Hiro smiled. "Thank you. Now, I suggest you get some sleep. Your training will begin first thing in the morning."

Sora nodded. "Thank you for helping me, Lord Hiro."

"It's no trouble, my boy," Hiro said simply. "Good night."

Sora smiled and went back to the room that had been provided to him. Hikari turned to go herself, but Hiro raised a hand.

"Wait a moment, Hikari," he said. "Please get your mother. There's something we need to discuss."

 **XXXXX**

Hikari sat in the seiza (4) position before Hiro and Akiko, curious about what he wanted to talk about.

"I've called you here to discuss the subject of Sora," Hiro said.

"What about him?" Hikari asked.

"Ever since he arrived, I've sensed something... strange about him."

Both Hikari and Akiko looked at him, their attention caught. Hiro had always had good instincts, able to sense trouble coming from a mile away.

"Hiro, you don't think he's a danger, do you?" Akiko asked. Hiro shook his head.

"No," he said. "There's something off about his heart."

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Papa?"

"It seems to have twice the normal amount of light and darkness of an average heart," Hiro said. "It's almost as if he has two hearts in his body."

Akiko gasped. "How is that even possible?"

Hiro shrugged. "I'm not sure myself, but some of the Keyblade lore I've read have told stories of Keyblade wielders that were able to merge their hearts with others."

"You think Sora might have been a victim of this?" Hikari asked. Hiro placed a hand on his chin in thought.

"It's hard to say for sure. It's quite possible he doesn't even know about it."

"So, what should we do, Hiro?" Akiko asked her husband.

"For now, let's just let things run their course. He's no threat to us, and from what he's said, he needs help to defeat Xehanort. If the χ-blade is forged, it will be the end of everything."

Hikari nodded, and stood up to leave.

"And Hikari?" Hiro said suddenly. Hikari turned to look at him. "I've told you this in complete confidence. For now, don't tell Sora anything of what we've discussed until we have something solid to go on about his heart."

Hikari hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, Papa." She didn't exactly like keeping such a big secret from Sora, but couldn't defy her father.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

(1): Japanese for "way of the bow"

(2): Kimono jacket, hip or thigh length

(3): Traditional Japanese clothing worn over a kimono. There are two types: divided _umanori_ and undivided _andon bakama._ The _umanori_ type have divided legs, similar to trousers.

(4): Literally "proper sitting"; kneeling on the floor with the feet tucked so that the top of the feet are against the floor and the heels are in a "V" shape with the buttocks resting on the heels.

I apologize if this chapter seems a tad rushed, but I decided to just have Hikari show Sora the three main landmarks of the trip, 'cause like I said, I'm bad at describing locations, and just wanted to get started on writing Sora's training sessions.

The characters of Oukoku and Kokoro Gatsu, as well as their son Hiroaki, are property of Kristen Verne, used with her permission; considering the Japanese theme of the characters, I figured they'd be perfect for Wutai.

Also, the gag of Seiko turning out to be a woman was planned from the very beginning; Seiko is in fact a female name in Japan. Like Akiko, Seiko is "voiced" by Wendee Lee.

Next chapter: Sora's training begins.

Please R&R. Happy Halloween!


	3. Training Begins

**\- Chapter 2 -**

 **Training Begins**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

My sincerest apologies for the long wait. Writer's block is a real pain in the butt.

Soundtrack for this chapter:

* _Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep-_ Future Masters; www. youtube watch?v = cMzHQpEr-wk

* * *

 **Village, Hikari's Home  
**

 **The next morning...  
**

Sora let out a loud snore as he lay fast asleep on the futon, his clothes neatly folded up off to the side. It had been a while since he had last gotten to sleep in a real bed, and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

Unfortunately, that was about to come to an end.

The door slid open, and in burst Hiro, fully dressed with the Twilight Blade sheathed at his hip.

"Rise and shine!" he yelled. Sora snapped awake with a yell and jumped up. Hiro's eyes widened for the briefest of moments at the sight of Sora clad in nothing but a pair of black boxers decorated with yellow hearts and Hidden Mickey tokens (1).

Composing himself, Sora yawned and looked out the window, seeing that the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon.

"Already?" he said. "Isn't it a little early?"

"I did tell you your training would begin first thing in the morning, if you recall," Hiro said matter-of-factly.

Sora stifled another yawn. "Yeah. Yeah, you did," he said. "Okay. Just let me grab my pants."

 **-x-**

A few minutes later, Hiro led a fully-dressed Sora to the dining room, a few doors down from the main room. As he explained, they would have breakfast before they trained in earnest.

When they entered the room, Hikari was already seated at a table that was _very_ low to the ground, which was laying on top of a fluffy, soft-looking rug. Hikari looked up at their entry, more specifically at Sora, and patted the area next to her with her hand.

Sora sat down next to Hikari, crossing his legs instead of kneeling, while Hiro sat across from them.

"Good morning, Sora," Hikari said, smiling. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like the dead," Sora replied. "It's been so long since I've slept in a real bed."

"Glad to hear it," Hikari said. "Mama's just getting finished making breakfast."

A few minutes later, Akiko came in with a large tray containing several bowls and plates, the contents steaming. Sitting down next to Hiro, she set the tray down in the middle of the table and handed out the plates to everyone.

Sora looked with confusion at the contents of his plate and bowl. The bowl was filled with some green soup with chunks of what appeared to be tofu and vegetables, while the plate had white rice, what appeared to be fish, and a dried-up plant. Next to the plate was a pair of chopsticks.

"This is breakfast?" he said, looking up. The others looked offended for a few seconds, and Sora quickly decided to rectify his slip-up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, ma'am," he said to Akiko. "It's just... not what I was expecting."

Akiko nodded. "What you see before you is a traditional breakfast of Wutai (2). You have miso soup, steamed rice, grilled fish, and _nori_."

Sora looked at her. " _Nori_?"

"Dried seaweed." Hikari explained, picking up a piece of her own and popping it into her mouth.

Sora was surprised. "You guys eat seaweed?"

Hiro nodded. "Just try it."

Sora hesitated, then shrugged. "Okay. What have I got to lose?"

With that, he picked up his chopsticks and tried to pick up a piece of the seaweed. "Tried" being the key word in this context; he had trouble just figuring out how to hold them. Finally, Hikari decided to cut in.

"Here, hold them like this," she said, showing him with her own. She held the lower chopstick stationary, resting at the base of the thumb and between her ring and middle fingers, while she held the second chopstick like a pencil, using the tips of her thumb and next two fingers.

Sora nodded and did the same, proceeding to lift up a piece of the seaweed and placed it in his mouth, chewing for a moment and then swallowing. He smiled and nodded in approval.

"Not bad," he said.

"I'm glad you like it," Akiko replied, smiling.

 **-x-**

 **Village, Training Yard**

After eating breakfast, Sora followed Hiro and Hikari to the training yard, ready to begin.

"So, where do we start?" Sora asked. Hiro took one of the bows down from where it was mounted and handed it to him.

"With this," he said. Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Archery?" he asked. "I was thinking we'd start with swordplay."

"Well, that's what you get for thinking." Hiro said simply.

Hikari stepped forward. "Sora, it's been tradition in our family to train with a variety of weapons and fighting styles," she explained. "You never know when you might need it."

"Simply put, overspecialize in one area, and you breed in weakness," Hiro said. "We keep things versatile."

Sora nodded. "It makes sense, but I've never used a bow before."

"I have," Hikari said, going over and taking a bow of her own. "Here, I'll show you."

Nocking an arrow, Hikari aimed carefully at the target and fired, scoring a perfect bullseye. Sora whistled in approval.

"Okay, your turn, Sora," Hikari said, standing off to the side. Sora nodded.

"Well, here goes nothing." he said as he nocked his arrow and aimed. He shot the arrow at the target, only to miss it completely and hit the wall next to it.

"Somehow, I'm less than surprised," he said simply.

Hikari shrugged. "Practice makes perfect. Just keep trying."

Sora nodded and retrieved another arrow, nocking and shooting it again. This time, he did a bit better; the arrow hit the outer rim of the target, but it was still a far cry from Hikari's shot.

"There you go!" Hikari said excitedly. "Just keep practicing, and you'll be hitting the bullseye in no time!"

Sora spent the next hour practicing with the bow, each time getting closer and closer to the bullseye until he finally hit it.

"Yes!" he shouted, jumping up and down in celebration. "I did it!"

Hiro gave a small smile. "Yes, you did," he said. "Now, we'll practice your archery some more later, but for now, let's move on."

 **-x-**

Sora and Hikari stood across from one another, both holding wooden practice swords.

"Now, to see just what you're capable of, you and Hikari will spar," Hiro said. "Are you ready?"

Both Sora and Hikari lowered into their fighting stances, with Hikari's fighting stance reminding Sora of Sephiroth's somewhat.

"Begin!"

*The two teenagers charged at one another, weapons at the ready. Their blades locked, and the two struggled to push the other back, and Sora realized that his initial assumption yesterday was right; Hikari was quite strong for her slender build.

Grunting in effort, Sora shoved forward and knocked Hikari back, breaking the deadlock. While she was off-balance, Sora charged in and swung his sword in a horizontal slice, striking Hikari in the side. Hikari let out a little yelp of pain before striking back, thrusting her sword and hitting Sora in the right shoulder.

Sora let out a hiss of pain before aiming a low slice at Hikari's legs, only for Hikari to jump over it. Using the downward momentum, Hikari swung her sword down in a vertical strike with a loud cry, but Sora quickly brought his sword up to block it.

Darting back with lighting speed, Hikari held her sword one-handed before charging forward making several rapid thrusts at Sora, her sword moving so fast that it left after-images (3). Sora couldn't block the rapid flurry of strikes and was forced to jump away.

As Hikari's attack ended, Sora initiated his Sonic Blade attack, charging forward at full speed with his sword extended and ramming it into Hikari's belly, knocking the wind out of her before darting back and forth, hitting her six times. At the seventh strike, Hikari recovered and backflipped away.

At that, the two decided to finish it. Hikari held her sword out before her with both hands, while Sora switched his to a reverse grip, both their eyes closed in concentration as cherry blossom pedals descended from the sky around them. After a moment, the two's eyes darted open, and they darted at each other with incredible speed, fading out of sight before two loud _thwacks_ of wood sounded.

Sora and Hikari reappeared, and both dropped to one knee, holding their stomachs where they had struck the other.*

"That's enough!" Hiro shouted. "I've seen what I need to see."

Sora got to his feet, wincing at the pain in his stomach as Hiro helped Hikari up.

"So," Hikari said, impressed, "you know Zantetsuken too?"

Sora nodded. "I gotta say, you're pretty good."

Hikari smiled. "You're not half-bad yourself."

Sora turned to Hiro. "What's the verdict?"

"You both performed commendably," he said. "But Sora, your fighting style is... well... a little messy. Who taught you?"

"I taught myself," Sora said simply. "And it's gotten me this far."

Hiro stroked his chin in thought. "Self-taught, and not half-bad. But it could use a little work."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I see what Papa's getting at," Hikari said. "Your style seems to depend more on brute force than anything else. You're mostly focused on just beating your foes into submission. Might isn't always right."

"So what do you suggest I do?"

"From what I've seen, your swordsmanship training will focus on learning an equal mix of offense and defense from here on out."

Sora nodded. "So, what now?"

"We'll eat lunch, and then you'll have an hour of reprieve before we get back to it."

Sora nodded, and the trio exited the training yard.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

(1): I just had to insert a scene of Sora wearing Goofy Print Underwear, for the laugh factor.

(2): I looked up that all that food _is_ a traditional Japanese breakfast.

(3): Think like Dante's Million Stabs attack from _Devil May Cry._

I know this chapter's kinda short, but I had to power through a LOT of writer's block to get it out as it is.

Please R&R. Until next time...


	4. New Magic

**\- Chapter 3 -**

 **New Magic  
**

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

So, I've decided to change Seiko's VA from Wendee Lee to Patricia Ja Lee. If you don't know who that is, she played Cassie Chan, the Pink Power Ranger during the _Turbo_ and _in Space_ seasons of the show back in the '90s, and voiced Jill Valentine in _Resident Evil 5._

* * *

 **Village, The Crypt**

After eating lunch, Sora calmly wandered through town, trying to decide what to do with his time. Before long, he found himself on the steps of Raiden's crypt. Without thinking, he simply opened the door and walked in, calmly sitting before the trio of coffins.

As he started at the painting set up behind the coffins, Sora had just one thought on his mind:

 _Why do Oukoku and Kokoro seem so... familiar?_

- **x-**

 **Some time later...**

Sora was still seated before the coffins, lost in thought, when he heard the door opening. He turned back to see Seiko and Hikari enter.

"There you are," Seiko said. "Lord Hiro and Lady Akiko sent us out to look for you."

Sora stood up. "Oh, sorry. I lost track of time."

"The villagers told us you headed this way about an hour ago," Hikari said. "If you don't mind me asking, why'd you come here of all places?"

Sora shrugged. "I-I don't know. I just felt drawn here for some reason."

Seiko raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's interesting."

"Yeah," Hikari said. "Well, let's get back to Papa. It's time for your next lesson."

Sora nodded. "Okay."

 **-x-**

 **Village, Hikari's Home**

They returned to the house to find Hiro waiting on the front porch.

"There you are," Hiro said. "I was about to file a missing persons report." He chuckled.

Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry."

Hiro shrugged. "No harm done."

"We found him at Raiden's crypt," Hikari explained. "Apparently, he's been there this whole time."

Hiro turned to Sora. "Why?"

Sora shrugged. "I'm not sure myself, sir. I just felt drawn there."

Hiro thought for a minute, then waved a hand in dismissal. "We'll figure it out later. It's time for your next lesson."

"Okay," Sora said. "What're we doing?"

"Magic training."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "But I already know magic."

"Yes, but not the ones I'm about to teach you."

Sora grinned. "Cool! What are they."

"There's quite a few," Hiro replied. "Bio, Hydro, Flash, Tsunami, Twister, Sandstorm, Ultima, Stone, Quake, Warp, Meteor, Leaf, and a few others."

"Wow," Sora said. "I don't think I've ever heard of most of those."

"I plan to show you most of them, or at least some of them, tonight."

Sora nodded. "Lead the way, sir."

 **-x-**

 **Village, Training Yard**

Sora and Hiro entered the training yard, where a training dummy had already been set up.

"The first one I'll show you is Bio," Hiro explained. "It's a poison-based spell that saps the health of your opponent."

"Poison?" Sora said. "Yeesh."

Hiro turned and gestured his hand at the dummy. "Bio!" he shouted, and right on cue, a green dome formed around the dummy. As it faded, Sora looked down around the dummy to see the grass decaying and turning brown.

"...Yipe." he said simply.

"Yes," Hiro said. "I would avoid using this on people if you have to, but Heartless..."

"...Are fair game." Sora finished.

Hiro nodded. "It's actually a fairly simple spell, on the same level as Fire."

"I know how to use Fire." Sora replied.

"Not surprising," said Hiro. "What all spells do you know?"

"Well," Sora said, counting on his fingers, "There's Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Aero, Cure, Reflect, Magic, Balloon, Spark... and Faith."

That took Hiro by surprise. "You know Faith?" Sora nodded. "That's such a high-level spell. Only two people on this world know it: the head of the shrine uptown, and me."

Sora looked at him, interested as Hiro continued. "It normally takes years to master, so it won't backfire on its caster."

Sora shrugged. "I don't know how I know it. I just do."

Hiro raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Anyway, try to cast Bio."

Sora nodded, then pointed his Keyblade at the dummy. "Bio!" he shouted, and a green dome covered the dummy, just as before. It faded, and more of the grass decayed.

"Good job," said Hiro. "Keep practicing."

Sora performed the spell a few more times, until Hiro raised his hand to signal him to stop. "Not bad," he said.

"So, what's next?" Sora asked.

"For today, we'll just do Hydro and Flash," Hiro said. "As the name suggests, Hydro is a water spell."

"Yeah, that's obvious," Sora said simply.

Hiro turned back to the dummy and waved his hand at it. "Hydro!" A wave of water hit the dummy.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed. Hiro nodded.

"Now you try."

Sora nodded. "Okay," he pointed at the dummy with his Keyblade. "Hydro!" Another wave of water, smaller than Hiro's, hit the dummy.

"Well..." Sora said. "that's not too impressive."

"No worries," Hiro said. "That one takes a while to get stronger."

"Makes sense," Sora replied. "It was that way with a lot of my spells at first."

Hiro nodded. "Keep working on it."

"I will." Sora said. He practiced the spell for an hour, and finally, Hiro raised his hand again.

"Not bad progress," he said. "Let's switch over to Flash for a bit."

Sora nodded as he continued. "Flash emits a bright light that temporarily blinds enemies. I will test it on you."

Sora's eyes widened. "Oh, boy..."

"Flash!" Hiro shouted, and right on cue, a bright light flashed, blinding Sora.

"My eyes!" he shouted, rubbing at them until his vision returned. He squinted at Hiro.

"I think I see spots."

Hiro nodded. "That's what happens."

Sora nodded back. "I can see how it could be effective."

"Indeed," Hiro said. "To either escape or attack. Now, try it on me."

"Okay," Sora said, pointing his Keyblade at Hiro. "Flash!"

A light flashed, brighter than Hiro's. Hiro fell back, rubbing his eyes.

"You... seem to have an affinity for light magic," he said.

Sora blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, sorry."

Hiro shrugged. "No, it's what we're here for," he said. "You really don't have to work on that one. Now, while my vision returns, practice Hydro."

"Alright," Sora said, looking at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Hiro replied. "Flash doesn't cause any permanent damage. That one was just strong. Go ahead and practice."

Sora practiced Hydro for a few more minutes, and finally Hiro stood up, his sight returning just in time to see Sora cast the spell perfectly.

"You've done well," he said. "I think we can call it a day."

Sora nodded. "Okay," he said. "So what now?"

Hiro smiled at that. "My wife wanted you at the house when we were done," he said. "For what reason, I don't know."

Sora shrugged. "Okay."

 **-x-**

 **Village, Hikari's Home**

They returned to the house, where Hikari and Akiko were waiting on the porch.

"Welcome back," Hikari said.

Sora waved at her, then looked at Akiko. "You wanted to see me about something, Lady Akiko?"

Akiko nodded. "Yes. If you're staying at our house, you need to help with chores. So, you're going to help me cook dinner tonight."

Sora nodded. "Okay, sounds fair."

He followed her into the kitchen, which was rather simplistic. On the opposite wall to the door was a wood-burning stove, with a stack of firewood next to it and a pot of boiling water on top, along with a frying pan. Off to the side of the door was a sink, and several cupboards. Finally, he turned his attention to the table in the center of the room, upon which sat a bag of white rice, a container of miso paste, a bag of flour, and several fish.

"So," he said. "what are we making?"

"Rice, miso, and tempura." Akiko replied.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Tempura?"

"Tempura is a variety of seafood or vegetable dishes," Akiko explained. "In this case, it's grilled fish."

"I help my mom grill fish all the time," said Sora. "Though you might do it differently than we do."

Akiko looked at him, curious. "How do you do it?"

"Well," said Sora, "we either take it outside and my dad and I grill it out there, and we add pepper, lemon, and some other spices, or we do it on the stove, with a frying pan. If you do do it the same, I didn't mean to be rude. Your culture is so different from my home's, so I just assumed."

Akiko waved a hand in dismissal. "No, it's quite alright. And we do do it differently."

"How do you make tempura?" Sora asked.

"First, we make a light batter using cold water and flour," Akiko explained. "Then we make thin slices of fish, dip them in the batter, and pop them in the frying pan. It's pretty simple."

"Sounds pretty simple," Sora replied.

"Okay then," Akiko said. "Let's get started!"

 **-x-**

Sometime later, Hikari's family and Sora were seated around the table in the dining room, enjoying their meal.

"So..." Sora began, "how'd I do."

Hiro took a bite of the fish. "This is very delicious."

"Not bad for your first try," said Akiko.

Sora smiled slightly. "I did my best," he said. "But Lady Akiko did most of the work."

"Still, you helped," Hikari replied.

"And you did well," Akiko said. "In fact, I'd like you to continue to help me make dinner."

Sora nodded. "If that's what the queen wants, who am I to refuse?"

Akiko chuckled at that. "Don't think of it as an order from the queen. Think of it as a request from a friend."

Sora nodded. "Alright then."

As they finished eating, Hikari turned to Sora. "Papa said you did well during training."

Sora smiled. "Not to toot my own horn."

"He has an affinity for light magic," Hiro said. "We found that out when he used Flash. Not only that, but he knows Faith." That got a surprised gasp from both Hikari and Akiko.

"But Faith is such a high-level spell!" Akiko said. "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen," Sora replied. That earned him another surprised gasp.

"How do you know that spell?" Akiko asked.

Sora shrugged. "I don't know myself. I just try my best. Some stuff, like spells, just come out of nowhere."

Hikari looked at him in awe. "You're not a Master yet, and you already know Faith. Incredible."

Sora blushed and let out a sheepish chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. Hiro decided to change the subject.

"So, why don't you tell us about your home and family?"

"Sure," Sora replied. "My home is the Destiny Islands, a small island chain."

"Sounds cool, but a little small and confining." said Hikari.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, but I like it there. And my parents' names are Levi and Marion Kumo. I may run around trying to save the worlds, but my family is actually pretty ordinary. My dad's a lifeguard, and my mom's a librarian."

Hikari was surprised. "That certainly is ordinary."

"Yeah," Sora said. "My parents were so surprised when I came back after my second adventure. Our islands are so small, the fact that any of our citizens became civilians and warriors was a shock. Heck, I didn't even know about all this stuff until two years ago," he smiled. "But my family was proud, and so were Riku and Kairi's families."

"Your two best friends?" Hikari asked, getting a nod in response.

"What are they like?" Hiro asked.

"Riku's kinda the serious type," Sora said. "He looks stoic, but he's really cool and caring. And he's the only one of us three that has a younger sibling. A little sister, and he's way more open and joyful around her."

"What's her name?" Hikari asked.

"Kikyo," Sora replied. "Most people just call her Kiki. She's a cutie."

"And what of Kairi?" asked Hiro.

"Kairi isn't actually a native of the Destiny Islands," Sora said. "She came from another world when I was five. Riku and I found her out cold on the beach. She was adopted by our mayor."

"Do you know what world she's from?" Akiko asked.

"It's called Radiant Garden," Sora said. "We found out during my first adventure, but she doesn't have any clear memories of it."

"That's sad." said Akiko.

Sora sighed before continuing. "According to the child psychologist, Kairi repressed her memories of her life before the islands. Whatever happened to her before she showed up on the islands, it was so bad she didn't _want_ to remember."

"Post-traumatic amnesia..." Hiro said thoughtfully.

"Yeah..." Sora said. "But she's a Princess of Heart." That got another surprised gasp from Hikari and her parents.

"Amazing..." said Akiko.

"She's sweet, and kind..." Sora drifted off, getting a dreamy look in his eyes.

Akiko smiled. "Oh, I know that look in your eye," Sora immediately turned beet-red. "Young love..." Hikari averted her eyes, and Sora quickly decided to change the subject.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how old were you and Lord Hiro when you had kids?" he asked. "You two just seem a little... young to have a daughter my age."

"I was seventeen," Hiro said. "And Akiko was sixteen."

That surprised Sora. "So you were my age."

"In Wutai, being married and having children at that age isn't uncommon (1)," Akiko explained.

"On my islands, that wouldn't fly at all." Sora replied.

"There's a rather unflattering analogy for women who aren't married mothers by age twenty-five," Hiro said, his tone distasteful.

"And that is?"

"Christmas cake," Hikari said, sharing her father's distasteful tone. "Allegedly, just as no one wants a Christmas cake after Christmas, no one wants a woman older than twenty-five."

"Now that _is_ unflattering," Sora said. "I know people and have family who were married at thirty."

Hiro shrugged. "It was much more common back in the old days. Nowadays, calling someone a Christmas cake is incredibly disrespectful."

"That's good," said Sora.

"Our family knows how stupid it is," said Hikari. "Love knows no bounds."

"Agreed," Sora said.

Hiro cleared his throat. "As much as I would like to continue talking, Sora has training in the morning."

Sora nodded. "Okay, I understand."

Akiko turned to Sora. "Go draw yourself a bath and go to bed."

"Okay," said Sora. "Where's the bathroom?"

"I'll show you," said Hiro, standing up.

Sora nodded, and followed him to the bathroom, which the first door on the right in the hallway where the guest room was.

"Here's the bathroom," said Hiro. "I'll wake you bright and early in the morning."

"At the crack of dawn, I take it?" Sora asked. Hiro nodded. "Okay, I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

With that, Hiro walked away, and Sora entered the bathroom.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

(1): From what I've read and heard about online, it really was quite common for Japanese girls to be married and have babies as teens back in the day.

Now, the spells Hiro mentions and has taught/will teach Sora are all _Final Fantasy_ spells that haven't appeared in the _Kingdom Hearts_ series yet. Thanks to Kristen Verne for helping me out with this in her RPs.

The characters of Levi and Marion, as well as Kikyo, are property of Kristen Verne, used with her permission.

Please R&R. Until next time!


	5. Day Off

**\- Chapter 4 -**

 **Day Off  
**

* * *

 **Two weeks later...**

Hikari pushed open the door to Raiden's crypt, and sure enough, she found Sora sitting before the coffins once more.

"Back again, Sora?" she asked. Sora turned to look at her. "I knew I'd find you here."

Indeed, for the past two weeks, whenever Sora had some free time, he would end up visiting the crypt, often spending hours on end there.

"Yeah," Sora said, standing up and dusting himself off. "I just don't know why I spend so much time here, Hikari."

Hikari shrugged. "Hey, it's fine. I'm not gonna judge you. Anyway, Papa sent me to get you."

"Figured as such," Sora said. "More training?"

"Actually, no," Hikari replied. "You have the day off for that."

Sora's face lit up. "Really?! That's great!" He hesitated, looking sheepish. "Don't tell your dad I said that. It's just... I ache everywhere."

Hikari giggled at that. "That's exactly why we have the day off. Training too hard without giving your body a break isn't good for you."

Sora nodded. "So... what are we doing today?"

"We're going out to visit my grandfather," Hikari replied. "He lives just outside of the village."

"Okay," said Sora. "Let's go."

 **-X-**

Sora and Hikari made their way back to her family home, where Hiro and Akiko were waiting on the porch.

"Visiting Raiden's crypt again?" Hiro asked.

Sora nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah. Even I don't know why."

Hiro shrugged. "We'll have to look into it later. But for now, we're going out of town."

"Yeah, Hikari told me we're visiting her grandpa." Sora replied.

"Yes," said Hiro. "My father, Ichiro."

Hikari smiled. "I haven't seen Grandpa in a while."

"And that's why we're going to visit him." Hiro replied.

"So, are we walking?" Sora asked.

Hiro nodded. "It's not too far."

"Okay then," said Sora. "Let's go."

 **-X-**

They walked out of town, and before long found themselves in an open field, with a big house similar to Hikari's own. A short distance away was a slightly more modest house.

"Nice place," said Sora, looking at the larger house.

Hiro nodded. "My father prefers peace and quiet since he stepped down from the throne. That's why he moved out here."

Akiko looked over to the other house. "And it seems that someone else has moved in to that home."

"We'll have to talk to Father about that while we're here," Hiro said.

With that, they made their way up the porch steps and to the door. Hiro knocked, and the door slid open to reveal a young woman in a light blue kimono with a purple obi, her brown hair tied in a ponytail. Her eyes widened at the sight of Hiro.

"Oh, Lord Hiro!" she said, bowing respectfully. Hiro held up his hand.

"At ease, Kikuno," he said. The woman, Kikuno, nodded and drew herself upright.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked.

"We're just here to visit Grandpa Ichiro," Hikari said.

"Of course, said Kikuno, before turning to look at Sora. "And this must be the young Keybearer who's become the talk of the town."

Sora nodded, bowing awkwardly. "Hi, I'm Sora."

Kikuno returned the bow. "Pleased to meet you," She stepped aside, holding the door open. "Please come in. I'll let Lord Ichiro know you're here."

They came in, and Kikuno left the room.

"Nice lady," said Sora.

Hikari nodded. "That's Kikuno, one of our family servants. Her family has worked for ours for generations. But she mostly just helps out Grandpa nowadays."

Hiro looked down the hall. "Speaking of..."

Coming down the hall was an older man, in his late forties or early fifties. He was the spitting image of Hiro, though his hair was greying. Sora quickly realized that this was Hikari's grandfather, Ichiro.

Hikari's face lit up at the sight of him. "Grandpa!" she cheered, running over and hugging him. Ichiro smiled and hugged her back.

"Hello, my dear," he said. "It's good to see you." He looked over to his son. "Good to see you as well, Hiro."

Hiro nodded at him. "Hello, Father. How have you been?"

Ichiro shrugged. "Can't complain," He turned to Akiko. "And Akiko, you're as lovely as ever."

Akiko chuckled. "You're the same as always, Ichiro."

"Indeed," Hiro replied, before turning to Sora. "And you must be the young Keyblade-wearing boy I've been hearing about."

"Yessir," Sora replied, bowing. "I'm Sora. It's nice to meet you."

Ichiro returned the bow. "Same here. May I see your weapon?"

Sora nodded, and summoned his Keyblade. Ichiro looked at it in awe.

"Amazing!" he said. "It's an honor to meet you. I've heard my son is training you."

"Yep," Sora said, dismissing the Keyblade. "And let me tell ya, he's kinda rough." He turned to Hiro. "No offense, sir."

Hiro waved a hand, dismissing it. "None taken. I train you the way I was trained." Ichiro nodded in agreement.

"Come into the parlor," he said. "I'll have some tea prepared while we talk."

They went into the parlor, and Kikuno brought them all tea.

"So, I saw that the house nearby has people living in it again," said Akiko.

Ichiro nodded. "Yes. A family of kitsune moved in not too long ago."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Kitsune?"

"Not everyone who lives in Wutai is human," Hikari explained. "There are multiple different species, which we call yōkai (1)."

"I see," said Sora, before looking down at his tea cup. "This... doesn't look like any tea I've seen before?"

"Oh, really?" asked Ichiro.

Sora nodded. "I don't mean to offend you or anything, sir. It's just, back home we normally use stuff like tea bags."

Hiro nodded at that. "In Wutai, we use different leaves and utensils than other worlds."

"Wutai takes tea very seriously," Akiko added. "There are entire schools devoted to the art of making it."

Sora blinked at that. "That sounds a bit... excessive."

"Some _do_ see it that way," said Ichiro, "but Teaism is an art most don't wish to give up."

"I see," Sora said again, before picking up his tea cup.

"Be careful," Hikari warned. "It's hot."

Sora nodded. "Okay. Here goes."

He sipped his tea, and winced; it was the most bitter thing he'd ever tasted. Nonetheless, he managed to swallow, before sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"Ugh, it's bitter!" he exclaimed. "Is it supposed to taste like that?"

"It's an acquired taste," Hiro replied. "It goes well with sweets and small cakes."

Before Sora could say anything more, Ichiro cut in. "And don't worry, we're not offended. Your culture is probably different, and I understand that."

Sora sighed in relief. "Do you ever put sugar in it?"

Hikari shrugged. "You can, but most drink it plain."

Ichiro pushed a small sugar bowl over to Sora. "Here."

"Thanks." Sora put two spoonfuls of sugar in his tea and mixed it, and took another sip. "That's better."

"Good." said Ichiro.

Sora decided to change the subject. "So, these yōkai... what are they like?"

"More or less like people," Hikari explained. "Some are good, some are bad. The kitsune are fox people."

This got Sora's attention. "Fox people?"

"They're humanoid foxes," Ichiro explained. "They can assume a human form, though."

"I played with one when I was little," said Hikari. "Her name was Yumi."

Ichiro turned to her. "Yumi? If I remember right, she's one of the kitsune who moved in next door."

Hikari jumped up, excited. "Really?!"

Ichiro nodded.

"I gotta go say hi!" she exclaimed. "I'll be right back?"

"Why don't you take Sora with you?" Hiro suggested.

Sora smiled. "Sure, I'll go."

"C'mon!" Hikari grabbed his hand and literally dragged him out the door. Her parents and grandfather watched them go.

"Hikari seems quite fond of him," said Ichiro.

"They get along well," Hiro replied.

"Indeed, they do," Akiko added. "Sora is young and has much to learn, but he is a good young man."

Ichiro stroked his chin in thought. "He is rather young to be off on his own, as a warrior."

Hiro nodded. "He's Hikari's age, but he's strong. Impulsive at times, but very strong."

Akiko sighed. "He has much to prepare for. He told us what he faces."

Ichiro raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

Alternating between them, Hiro and Akiko explained to Ichiro what Sora told them about Xehanort's scheme. By the end, Ichiro was awestruck.

"That fool..." he said. "He's going to destroy us all."

"Yes," said Akiko, "and Sora and his friends are the only ones who can stop him."

Ichiro turned to Hiro. "Train him well. He'll need it."

Hiro nodded. "I will."

Ichiro sighed. "If he fails... God help us. God help us all..."

 **-X-**

Meanwhile, Hikari was excitedly dragging Sora by the hand to the house next door.

"Whoa, Hikari! Slow down!" Sora said. Hikari slowed her pace.

"Sorry, I got excited," said Hikari. "I haven't seen Yumi in so long. It'll be nice to catch up."

They reached the porch steps, and Hikari knocked on the door, which opened to reveal a girl about their age. The girl had black hair tied in a bun, yellow eyes with foxlike pupils, and a beauty mark near her right eye. She wore a black kimono with red and yellow flame patterns with a red obi. Her jaw dropped at the sight of Hikari.

"Yumi?" Hikari asked, looking excited. The two girls squealed with glee and hugged.

"It's been forever!" said Yumi. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Hikari said as they pulled away. "How have you been?"

"Can't complain," Yumi replied. "You?"

"I've been great."

Yumi turned to look at Sora. "And who's this?"

Hikari gestured to Sora. "If you heard about the Keyblade wielder here, this is him. His name's Sora."

Yumi looked Sora over and smiled. "Well, he's definitely cuter than I was expecting."

Sora blushed. "Uh... well..."

Yumi laughed. "Ah, I'm just teasing. I already have a boyfriend." Sora relaxed.

Hikari giggled. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you," Yumi replied. "So, Sora, what brings you to Wutai?"

"It's a long story," Sora said. "but Hikari's dad is training me."

Yumi raised an eyebrow. "For what, exactly?"

"Well," said Sora, "you might as well know." He and Hikari explained.

Yumi shook her head. "What a maniac. But Lord Hiro will train you well."

Sora nodded. "He's a nice guy, good trainer. Even my hair's sore."

Yumi snickered. "Sounds like him. Anyway, why don't you two come inside?"

Hikari nodded, and they came in, Yumi shutting the door behind them. She and Hikari walked ahead of Sora, and Yumi turned to her.

"So... he's cute," she whispered.

Hikari scratched the back of her head. "Yeah. So what?"

"Is he single?" Yumi asked.

Hikari raised her eyebrow. "I don't know if he is or not. Why do you ask?"

Yumi rolled her eyes. "You need a man."

Hikari turned beet-red. "Yumi! I've only known him for two weeks!"

Yumi shrugged. "So get to know him then. Don't you think he's cute?"

Hikari fidgeted. "I'll admit to that."

"There you go," said Yumi. "Get to know him."

"Later," said Hikari. "For now, I wanna hang out with an old friend."

Yumi nodded. "Works for me."

"So," Hikari began, "what have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing much," Yumi replied. "I've gotten a lot stronger since you saw me last. I got my fourth tail."

Sora overheard that last part, and came up to them. "Fourth tail?"

Yumi turned to him. "Oh, kitsune grow multiple tails with both power and age. The maximum is nine."

Sora smiled in approval. "That's cool."

"Over time, kitsune grow multiple tails every hundred years," Hikari explained. "But their growth can be accelerated through training and discipline. Last time I saw her, about four years ago, Yumi only had one."

"Uhh, can we see?" Sora asked, interested.

"Sure," said Yumi. She held a hand to her chest, and was surrounded in a burst of blue flame.

When it faded, her ears had become triangular and foxlike, her face had gained a slightly pronounced, vulpine muzzle, and she was covered in yellow fur with white tribal-style markings all over her body. Her hair hung loosely, down to her hips. Her mole was still present under her right eye, and her eyes were the same.

Sora's jaw dropped. "W-wow."

Yumi smiled, spinning in place to give them a full view. "Yep. What you see here is my true form. Gorgeous, isn't it?"

Sora nodded. "It's... pretty."

"Thanks," said Yumi.

"So," Sora asked, "judging by that fire, I'm guessing you have fire powers?"

"Not just that," Yumi said, raising her hands. One smouldered with fire, and the other crackled with electricity. Sora looked on in awe.

"Some kitsune have fire powers, and others have electric ones," Hikari explained. "Yumi's one of the rare ones that have both (2)."

"So, what else can you do?" Sora asked.

"Well, all kitsune have innate potential for shapeshifting and illusion magic, but some choose not to develop it," Yumi replied. In a puff of smoke, she suddenly changed into a duplicate of Sora, except her tails were still visible. "As you can see, I'm not one of them."

"Now that's cool," Sora said, awestruck. "But... well..."

Yumi shifted back to her human form. "Oh, that's normal. Kitsune always have trouble morphing our tails. With a little more practice, I'll be able to make them disappear."

"I see." said Sora.

"So, what else has been happening?" Hikari asked.

"Well, as of now, I have eleven siblings." Yumi replied.

Sora was shocked. "...Quite a big family."

Yumi shrugged. "It's normal for kitsune to have lots of kids. We _are_ fox people."

Sora nodded. "True."

"There are eight boys," Yumi continued. "I'm the oldest of four girls. But enough about me for now. What brings you two out here?"

"Papa decided to take a day off from training Sora," Hikari explained. "So we came out here to visit Grandpa Ichiro."

Yumi smiled. "Ah, Lord Ichiro. He's a nice guy. He comes over at least once a week to play pai sho (3) with Dad."

"I see," said Hikari. "Anyway, he told me you were here, so I figured I'd drop by."

"Well, I'm glad you did!" said Yumi. "I haven't seen you in forever, and I got to meet your charming friend." She winked at Sora.

Sora just nodded back. "It's nice to meet you too."

Yumi led them to the living room, where they all sat down. "This should be quiet. My siblings are all out."

"So what else can kitsune do?" Sora asked.

"Well, our illusion magic is quite potent," Yumi replied. "It doesn't actually hurt anyone, but the illusions are strong enough to cause pain."

Sora's jaw dropped. "That's crazy cool!"

Yumi chuckled. "I swear, you're acting like a kid in a candy store, hearing all this."

Sora shrugged. "I like learning about different people, especially if they're not human."

"Nothing wrong with that," said Yumi.

"So, who's this boyfriend of yours, Yumi?" Hikari asked.

"His name's Kenji," Yumi replied. "He's a kitsune as well. He lives near the mountains."

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "I've seen him around. Doesn't his family run the lumber mill?" Yumi nodded. "He came by and helped fix part of my house a month ago."

"Yeah, he told me about that," Yumi said, chuckling. "He said it was an honor to meet the princess."

Hikari nodded. "He's nice. And cute."

Sora decided to change the subject. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

"Well, kitsune have a reputation for being tricksters," Yumi replied. "Sometimes, when I'm bored, I pull the occasional prank."

Hikari nodded, remembering that. "So, what pranks have you pulled lately?"

Yumi giggled at that. "It was on my oldest brother, Ken. I doodled on his face while he was asleep on the couch. Made him look like a bunny."

Both Hikari and Sora cracked up at that. "Nice!" said Sora.

"Why, thank you," Yumi said, bowing. "Of course, I always make sure that my pranks are harmless. Kitsune are tricksters, not lunatics."

"Of course," said Sora.

Hikari smiled at that. "The most she's ever done is slip red hot peppers into my ramen at lunch," She cracked up. "I was practically breathing fire."

Sora laughed too. "That's hilarious!"

Hikari nodded, holding her stomach. "Yeah, now that I look back on it."

Yumi was laughing too. "Your face was priceless!" After a few minutes, they calmed down.

"I'll bet," Sora said. "My friend Riku used to pull pranks on me too."

Yumi raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"He once tied a clear wrapping across a doorway so I walked right into it." Yumi and Hikari both laughed at that. "But I got him back."

"What'd you do?" Hikari asked.

Sora smirked. "I took a can of cream, sprayed it onto his hand while he was sleeping, and ticked his nose with a feather. He reached up and..." he slapped a hand over his face, "splat!"

Yumi laughed. "Can't beat the classics."

"Nope!" said Sora, before deciding to change the subject. "So, you said you have eleven siblings?"

Yumi nodded. "Yep. I'm the ninth in a litter of twelve. Eight older brothers, three little sisters."

"I have no siblings at all," said Sora. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are all of you?"

Yumi started counting on her fingers. "From oldest to youngest,26, 25, 25, 24, 20, 19, 18, 17, then there's me and I'm 16, then there's 13, 10, and 6."

Sora gaped at that. "Wow..."

"As for names," Yumi continued, "from youngest to oldest, not counting me, there's Ken, Kai, Yosuke, Tetsuya, Makoto, Jiro, Takumi, Akihiko, Asami, Hana, and Midori."

"Again, wow," said Sora. "Your food bills must be catastrophic."

"Actually, no," Yumi replied. "We grow our own. But we _do_ make trips to the market every once in a while for meat and fish."

"I see," said Sora.

"I eat fish every once in a while," said Yumi, "but for the most part, I prefer veggies."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "A vegetarian fox. Well, I've seen crazier things."

Yumi shrugged at that, and Sora started to ramble nervously.

"And, well... sorry for comparing you to an actual fox. I'm sure it's degrading or offensive to compare you to animals, but I didn't mean to..."

Yumi held up her hand. "Whoa, whoa, chill out! It's cool, Sora," she said. "We compare ourselves to foxes all the time. It's totally alright."

Sora sighed. "Oh, good. The culture here's so different, I don't know whether or not I'm offending anyone."

Yumi nodded in understanding as Sora continued.

"But there _are_ some this world has in common with mine. Your guys' technology is similar to mine. Like indoor plumbing."

Yumi nodded again. "Yep. Huge breakthrough. Now we don't have to bathe in our drinking water or go in a bush."

"And I'm grateful for that," said Sora. "You also have indoor electricity."

"It's a newer breakthrough here," said Hikari. "Most people still prefer candles and lanterns."

"There have even been plans to introduce radio and television at some point in the future." Yumi said.

"My world already has all that," Sora replied, before he decided to change the subject again. "So, are there any other types of kitsune?"

Yumi thought for a minute. "There _was_ once a breed who had the power to control plantlife, but as far as we know, they've died out (4)," She saw the somewhat saddened look on Sora's face. "But that's life. You gotta make the most of what time you have."

Sora nodded. "True."

"Besides," Yumi added, "considering how many kids kitsune have, we don't really have to worry about us dying out."

They suddenly heard two voices talking and coming nearer.

"Sounds like some of my sibs are back," Yumi said.

The door opened, and two people came in. One of them was a tall, well-built man in his mid twenties, and the other was a little girl around six years old. Sora guessed that they were Yumi's oldest brother, Ken, and youngest sister, Midori, respectively.

"Yumi!" Midori cheered, jumping into her sister's arms. Ken turned to see Hikari.

"Oh, Miss Hikari!" he said, bowing respectably. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Ken," Hikari replied.

Ken turned to look at Sora. "Who's this?"

Midori pointed to Sora's head. "He's got funny hair!"

Sora chuckled. "I'm Sora."

"He's my guest," Hikari explained. "The Keybearer you may have heard of around town."

Ken raised an eyebrow. " _This_ is the Keybearer. No offense, but I thought you'd look more... imposing."

Sora laughed. "Yeah, I know I don't look very threatening. But I'm the guy. I'll prove it." He summoned his Keyblade, and Ken, Yumi, and Midori all gaped at it.

"Wow!" Ken said as Sora dismissed it, before bowing. "My name's Ken. I'm the oldest."

"Nice to meet you." said Sora.

"So, what brings you here?" Ken asked.

"Hikari and I came out of town to visit her grandpa, and he told us you lived here, so she decided to visit Yumi."

Ken nodded. "So, what brings you to Wutai?"

Sora and Hikari explained the situation with Xehanort, and Ken, like Yumi, shook his head.

"What a lunatic," he said. "Well, you're getting the best training."

"You can stop the bad man!" Midori added.

Sora smiled. "Thanks."

Yumi decided to change the subject. "Anyway, you've met Ken," She ruffled Midori's hair. "This little munchkin is Midori. She's the youngest."

"Hi!" Midori said, waving. Sora waved back.

"So, funny story," Yumi said. "Midori's name means 'green.' Mom and Dad named her for her eye color." Sora looked at Midori, and indeed, she had grassy-green eyes with foxlike pupils.

"Nice," he said. "So why'd they name you Yumi?"

"Well, it can have different meanings," Yumi replied. "The meaning Mom went for was tenderness and beauty."

"What about you, Sora?" Midori asked.

"My name means 'sky'?" Sora explained. "I was actually named for my eyes, too. It reminded my parents of the sky."

"And my name means 'light'," said Hikari. "Papa named me because he saw the light shining in my eyes when I was born."

"Cool!" said Midori.

Before they could say anything more, a knock sounded on the front door. Yumi went to answer it, and was met with Hiro and Akiko.

"Oh, my Lord and Lady!" she said, bowing.

Hiro nodded at her. "Hello, Yumi."

Hikari came in to the room. "Oh, hello, Mama and Papa."

"We came to get you and Sora," Akiko said. "It's time to be heading home."

Hikari nodded, somewhat downtrodden. "Okay..."

Hiro smiled and patted her head. "We'll come back soon."

Hikari nodded. "Well, it was good seeing you, Yumi."

Yumi smiled. "Good seeing you, too. Come back sometime."

"I will," said Hikari.

As they left, Sora saw a jar of clear liquid in Hiro's hands. "What is that?"

"A pot of sake my father gave me," Hiro replied.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Sake?"

"It's a drink," Hikari explained. "It's pretty good."

"We're going to have it at dinner." said Hiro.

 **-X-**

 **Later...**

Sora and Hikari's family sat around the dinner table, and Hiro poured them each a glass of sake. Sora sniffed his glass before taking a sip.

"This is good," he said. He immediately grabbed his cup and drained it. Hikari and her parents gasped.

"Sora, no!" Hikari shouted. "You're only supposed to sip it!"

But it was too late. Sora's face flushed, and he smiled drunkenly.

"You were right," he said, his speech slurred. "This stuff is good!" He hiccupped.

Hiro rubbed his eyes. "And... he's drunk."

"Wha?" Sora asked.

Akiko sighed. "We should've warned him. Sora, dear, sake is alcoholic."

Sora's eyes widened slightly. "Oooh... my mom said I can't have alcohol..."

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "How can he get drunk on one glass?"

Sora shook his head. "I'm not drunk. My tongue is just... twisted." He hiccupped again.

"He drank it too fast," Hiro explained. "And yes, you're drunk."

Akiko looked at Sora with concern. "Sora, maybe you should lay down."

"No, I'm okay," Sora said, before putting a hand to his mouth. "Oh, hang on..."

He ran over to the garbage can and promptly retched into it; Hiro, Akiko, and Hikari all winced.

"Hey," Sora said as he staggered away from the can, "when did I eat barf?"

Akiko stood and went over to him. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."

Sora shook his head. "Aw, c'mon. I'm fiiiiine!"

"No, you're not," said Akiko. "Now, go lay down."

Sora gave in. "Oookay, Lady Akiko. If that's what you want."

"It is," Akiko replied, helping him to his room.

"He's going to hate waking up tomorrow," she said as she rejoined the others.

"We'll have to postpone tomorrow's lesson. He'll be hungover," said Hiro, sighing and rubbing his forehead. "I never should've given him that sake."

"Papa, we didn't know it would hit him like this," said Hikari. "And we should've told him it was alcohol."

From Sora's room came the sound of Sora howling. Hikari sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Oh, Lord," she said. "He's totally lost it. No more sake for him. He'll stick to tea and coffee."

"Indeed," said Akiko.

Sora howled again, and they all laughed.

"Still," said Hiro, "it's good for a laugh."

* * *

 **The next morning...  
**

Hikari went into Sora's room with a glass of water and an alka seltzer tablet just as Sora was waking up. He winced and rubbed his head, groaning.

"That's what's known as a hangover," Hikari said. Sora sighed.

"I was drunk?" he asked. "Please tell me I didn't do anything embarrassing."

"You did say a few funny things," Hikari said. "Like 'I'm not drunk. My tongue's just twisted.'"

They both laughed at that, before Sora winced and put a hand to his head again.

"Ugh, it feels like my head's gonna explode." he moaned.

Hikari rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. We should've told you it was alcoholic."

Sora shrugged. "I should've known by the smell."

"Either way, no more for you," said Hikari. "Stick to tea and coffee."

Sora nodded. "Good idea."

"By the way, this should help with your headache." She dropped the seltzer tablet into the water and handed it to Sora.

"Thanks," he said, taking the glass and drinking it before handing the glass back. "So, what now?"

"Papa knew this would happen, so he's postponing today's lesson," Hikari replied. "For now, just get some sleep."

Sora smiled slightly. "Sounds like a plan."

He laid back down and closed his eyes. Within minutes, he was asleep.

Hikari sighed. "Oh, Sora... what are we gonna do with you?"

She looked him over for a minute, and then blushed.

"He's kinda cute when he's asleep..." she said to herself, before shaking her head. "What am I thinking?"

She sighed, then stood up, going to the door. Before she left, she stole a glance at the slumbering Keybearer.

 _I don't like him that way..._ she thought before exiting.

* * *

(1): A class of supernatural monsters, spirits and demons in Japanese folklore.

(2): Based on my research, kitsune fox-fire can be either fire or lightning.

(3): A board game from _Avatar: The Last Airbender._ I don't know much about it myself.

(4): A reference to Kurama from _Yu Yu Hakusho_. He was a fox demon with power over plants.

Well, Hikari's starting to develop her feelings for Sora, but is in denial of them for now.

Also, fun trivia fact: I've decided on a last name for Hikari's family. Tokimiya. It's a reference to Rem Tokimiya from _Final Fantasy Type-0._

Again, thanks to Kristen Verne for RP'ing this chapter with me.

Please R&R. Until next time!


	6. Revelation

**\- Chapter 5 -**

 **Revelation  
**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So, I forgot to mention this last chapter, but the scene where Sora tries Wutai-style tea, up to the point where he tries it and gripes about how bitter it is, was derived from one of the Support conversations in _Fire Emblem: Awakening;_ more specifically, the B-level Support between Say'ri and the female Robin. _Fire Emblem_ fans will know what I'm talking about.

Also, the character of Kikuno's name is derived from a character of the same name from _Persona 3._

Now, I've decided on mental VAs for some of the new OCs introduced last chapter:

* Ichiro: Steve Blum (Vincent Valentine from the _Compilation of Final Fantasy VII,_ Guilmon and Mitsuo Yamaki from _Digimon_ season 3, Orochimaru from _Naruto_ )

* Kikuno: Michelle Ruff (Rukia Kuchiki from _Bleach,_ Elie from _Rave Master,_ Yukari Takeba from _Persona 3_ )

* Yumi: Cristina Vee (Morgiana from _Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic,_ Noel Vermillion from _BlazBlue_ , Cinque from _Final Fantasy Type-0_ )

Still working on voices for the others.

Also, since Seiko hasn't really had a lot of screentime so far, she's getting some in this chapter.

Okay, now that that's done...

* * *

Seiko pushed open the door to the crypt, and sure enough, Sora was sitting there before the coffins. He turned his head at the sound.

"Hey," he said. "Time for more training?"

Seiko nodded. "Yes. With me today."

Sora stood and dusted himself off. "Okay. What are we learning?"

"Hand-to-hand combat." Seiko replied.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "What good is fighting Heartless hand-to-hand?"

"You'd be surprised," Seiko said matter-of-factly. "And don't forget, you'll be fighting people too."

Sora thought for a minute, then nodded. "Yeah, that's a good point. Well made."

"Have you ever fought hand to hand before?" Seiko asked.

Sora shook his head. "Not really."

"Then we'll start with the basics."

 **-X-**

Sora and Seiko stood opposite one another in the training yard.

"So, what now?" Sora asked.

"First, let's test your physical strength," Seiko raised her right hand. "Hit me as hard as you can."

Sora nodded. Pulling back his fist and swinging with all his might, he hit her hand dead on. "How was that?"

"Not bad," Seiko replied. "Fighting with a sword has made you strong. But your form... it's unbalanced and sloppy."

Sora tilted his head quizzically. "It is?"

Seiko nodded. "You're used to attacking with a blade, so you fight like that. You need a different stance."

"Okay," said Sora. "What do you suggest?"

"Stay standing like you are and hold up an arm to block with," Sora did so, and Seiko pushed against his arm, knocking him back. "See, it's hard to hold someone off like that."

Sora nodded in understanding. "Yeah."

"Try this," Seiko turned Sora to the side and had him hold up his arm again. "There. Now your arm is in line with your shoulder." She pushed against his arm again, and this time, he held her back. "See? It's stronger."

Sora smiled. "Nice."

"When you fight, make sure your body lines up like this," Seiko explained. "It'll give your strikes more power, and make it harder for your opponent to move you." She stepped back, bending into a fighting stance. "Now, throw a punch at me."

Sora did so, and she blocked it. "Better," said Seiko. "Now, do it again, until I tell you to stop."

Sora practiced the punch again and again, and finally, Seiko raised a hand, signalling for him to stop. "Good. Now let's move onto kicks."

"Okay," said Sora.

"Without moving your front foot, kick," Sora obliged. "Make your movements sharp and precise. Don't rely on the muscles in your legs to power the kick. Use your hips. And before you put that foot back on the ground, pause. Keep it just above the ground."

Again, Sora obliged as Seiko continued. "This gives you more freedom to move from one attack to the other. Instead of taking the time to lift your foot again, you already have it in a good position."

Sora nodded. "Makes sense."

"Now, practice that kick." Seiko ordered.

"You got it." Sora practiced for several moments before Seiko signaled for him to stop again.

"Okay, not bad," she said. "Take a break for a few minutes, then we'll combine punching and kicking."

Sora nodded, and they sat down to relax. Sora turned to her, curious about something.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what's your story with Hikari?" he asked. "How long have you been her bodyguard?"

Seiko turned over to him. "Since the day she was born," she replied. "I was ten years old when I was first assigned to her."

That surprised Sora. "Why so young?"

Seiko shrugged. "My family has served hers for generations, and I was a prodigy. Very skilled and talented for my age."

Sora was impressed. " _Really_ talented, if you were assigned to be a princess' personal bodyguard."

Seiko nodded. "Yep. We're like sisters now," She smiled to herself. "I can still remember it, clear as day..."

* * *

 **Flashback**

A younger Hiro, Ichiro, and Seiko, along with Seiko's mother, Kasumi, all sat outside Hiro and Akiko's bedroom, hearing small whimpers and sobs from the laboring Akiko.

Hiro looked nervously at the door. "Come on..."

Ichiro placed a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "Calm down, son. Everything will be alright."

Hiro nodded reluctantly, and at that, they heard a crescendo of panting from Akiko, followed by a pained scream. Mere moments after she quieted down, a second cry began, faint and high-pitched; a wavering _waaaa_ , reminiscent of a bleating lamb. Hiro jumped up just as the midwife exited the room, smiling.

"Lord Hiro, you may come in and see your baby now," she said. Hiro immediately went in, and happy tears came to his eyes at the sight before him.

Akiko sat upright in the soft futon, her lower body covered by the silk sheets. Her long black hair was matted with sweat, draped over one shoulder, and she looked exhausted, but regardless, she was happy as she cradled the little bundle in her arms. She looked up and smiled at her husband.

"Little one," she said to the bundle. "I'd like you to meet your father." Hiro came over and sat beside her. "Hiro... it's a girl."

Hiro was awestruck. "A girl..." He pulled the blanket away to see his child's face, and smiled at the sight. The girl was beautiful, a spitting image of her mother, with two inches of damp black hair and vibrant green eyes.

"What should we name her?" Akiko asked. Hiro looked right into the baby's eyes, and he saw a light shining in them. It hit him at that.

"Hikari."

Akiko smiled. "Hikari... I love it."

Hiro smiled back at her. "Seiko and Kasumi are outside. Should I let them in."

Akiko nodded. "Yes. Seiko should meet her knew charge."

Hiro nodded back, and opened the door, gesturing for Seiko and Kasumi to come in. They smiled at the sight of the new mother.

"My Lord, what's her name?" asked Seiko.

"Hikari," Hiro replied.

"Hikari..." Seiko repeated, smiling. "That's a pretty name."

Akiko nodded before turning to the young kunoichi (1). "Would you like to hold her?"

Seiko looked over at her in surprise, and then smiled. "Sure!"

Akiko gently deposited the newborn princess in Seiko's arms. "Make sure to support her head."

Seiko did so, smiling down at the baby. "Wow..." She freed one hand to stroke Hikari's cheek, and almost immediately, a little hand emerged from the blankets and grabbed her finger.

Seiko smiled excitedly. "She's holding my hand!"

Hiro smiled. "She already likes you."

"Which only cements our decision," Kasumi added.

Seiko looked at her mother. "The one to make me her bodyguard?

Akiko nodded. "Of course."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around being a bodyguard," Seiko said. "I mean, I'm just a kid."

"You've done far beyond what any other guard could do at your age," Hiro said. "We believe you're ready."

"Okay," Seiko replied, before looking down at Hikari and smiling. "That means I'll have plenty of time to get to know you, cutie." Hikari cooed at that.

"Yes, you certainly will," Akiko said, before holding out her arms. "May I have her back, please?"

Seiko nodded. "Yes, of course." She handed the baby back to her mother.

"Thank you," Akiko replied. "And don't worry. You'll get to spend plenty of time with her."

"Her safety will be your responsibility," Hiro added, "but I hope the two of you will be close when she's older."

Seiko smiled. "So do I."

"I'm sure you will be," Kasumi said, placing a hand on Seiko's shoulder. "Come. Let's let the new family get to know each other."

"Okay, Mom." Seiko stood up and followed her mother out. As they left, Hiro touched his baby daughter's cheek.

"She's beautiful..." he said.

Akiko nodded before leaning her head on his shoulder. "I couldn't be happier."

 **Flashback Over**

* * *

After she finished the tale, Seiko stood back up. "Okay, back up. Time for round two."

Sora nodded and stood up himself. "Now, we're gonna practice throwing an opponent."

Sora winced at that. "Let me guess, you're gonna demonstrate on me?" Seiko nodded, and he sighed. "Oh, boy... okay, let's get this over with."

"Okay," said Seiko. "Come at me."

Sora nodded and came at her, throwing a punch. Seiko dodged, grabbed his arm, and flung him over her shoulder harder than she intended, sending Sora flying clean through the fence and leaving a hole shaped like his body (2).

Seiko gasped. "Sorry!"

Within minutes, Hiro came running in, having heard the sounds of splintering wood. "What's going on?!"

Seiko laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, my Lord. I was teaching Sora how to throw an opponent, and... I guess I overdid it a little."

Hiro raised an eyebrow. "A little?" Either way, he wasn't too surprised; ever since she was young, Seiko had had occasional problems controlling her strength.

"Okay, more than a little."

At that moment, they heard groaning, and turned to see a dazed Sora poke his head through the hole.

"Not that I'm complaining," he said as he stepped back into the training yard through the hole, "but could you be a little gentler next time?"

Seiko rubbed the back of her head again. "Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean to throw you that hard. Are you okay?"

Sora nodded. "I've been hit harder before. I'm fine."

Seiko sighed in relief. "Well, do you want to try it yourself?"

"Might as well," said Sora. "I think I have a good idea of how to do it."

Seiko nodded. "Okay, try it."

Sora grabbed her arm and, with some effort, managed to flip her over his shoulder. Seiko hit the ground and rolled over.

"Not bad," she said. "But let's work on your form."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Form?"

"Your arms were too stiff, and your stance was off," Hiro explained. "Make sure your arms are loosened up before you do it again."

Sora nodded, and at Seiko's nod, he flipped her over again, sending her a bit farther.

"Better," said Hiro. "Now, I'd say that's just about it for the day. One more thing, Sora."

"What's that?" Sora asked.

"Run from here, to Raiden's tomb, then back to the house. Then you're done." Sora nodded and ran off, and Hiro turned to Seiko.

"Don't worry about the fence, Seiko," he said. "I'll get a repairman, and we'll have it reinforced and padded."

Seiko nodded at that, still somewhat embarrassed by the incident.

 **-X-**

Hiro made his way back to the house, finding Akiko and Hikari waiting for him.

"So, what were those crashing sounds?" Akiko asked.

Hiro sighed, a small smile on his face. "Seiko was showing Sora how to throw an opponent, and accidentally put him through the fence." Both Hikari and Akiko laughed at that.

"That girl," said Akiko. "Even after all these years, she still tends to forget how strong she is."

Hiro nodded at that before turning to Hikari. "Sora's final lesson for the day was to run to the crypt and back. If he's not back in five minutes, go get him."

Hikari shrugged and made her way to the door. "I might as well go get him now."

After she left, Hiro headed straight for his study, determined to figure out a question that had been on his mind these past few weeks.

"That boy," he said as he looked through the books on the shelves and on his desk. "Why _is_ he so fixated on Raiden's tomb?"

"What is it, Hiro?" came the voice of Akiko. Hiro turned to see her at the door.

"I'm trying to find out why Sora's so obsessed with visiting the crypt," Hiro replied. As he rummaged through his desk, he stopped and picked up an old scroll.

"Wait, is that..." Akiko asked.

"Yes," said Hiro. "The Heir Scroll."

The Heir Scroll, as it had come to be called, was an ancient relic from the Keyblade War that Raiden had had commissioned prior to its end, to keep track of the bloodlines of Oukoku and the other Masters for future generations. Enchanted and marked with small amounts of blood from each Master, it would produce an image of the respective Masters' family trees when the one holding it thought of their names.

Hiro unrolled the scroll as Akiko came over to him. "There must be some reason he's drawn to their crypt."

As they looked it over, Hiro closed his eyes. "Oukoku and Kokoro Gatsu..."

Almost immediately, pictures of Oukoku and Kokoro appeared at the very top of the scroll, spreading into a family tree, and Hiro and Akiko gasped at the final image; at the very bottom of the family tree was Sora's face.

"My God..." said Akiko.

Hiro was equally awestruck. "Sora is the direct descendant of Oukoku and Kokoro," he said. "So that's why...

Akiko nodded. "After all this time, we finally found Oukoku's lineage. On another world all this time..."

"We have to tell him," said Hiro.

Right on cue, they heard the front door open, and Hikari's voice reached their ears. "Papa! Mama! We're back!"

"Perfect timing," Hiro said to himself, before shouting, "Could you two come back to my study, please?"

Hikari came first, followed by a sweaty Sora. "What's up?" Sora asked.

"It seems you had a good workout," said Hiro, "but that's not why I called you back here."

Hikari noticed the scroll in Hiro's hands. "Papa, isn't that the Heir Scroll?"

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Heir Scroll?"

"This scroll allows us to see the bloodlines of the Keyblade wielders from the Keyblade War." Akiko explained.

"I was trying to find out why you would be so drawn to the crypt," Hiro added.

"So..." Sora said, "you think I might be descended from some of those wielders?"

"We don't think," Hiro replied, showing them the scroll. "We know." Sora and Hikari gasped.

"No way!" Sora exclaimed.

Awestruck, Hikari looked from Sora to the scroll and back again. "You... you're..."

"The descendant of Oukoku and Kokoro." Hiro finished.

"So, what does that mean for me?" Sora asked.

"It means that you have some authority here, if only a little, and will have more respect than you already have as a Keyblade wielder." Akiko replied.

"Really?"

Hiro nodded. "Indeed. You have a great legacy behind you. One day, you should tell your parents about this."

Sora nodded back. "I... need to sit down." He grabbed a chair and did so.

"It's a lot to take in, I know." Hiro said.

"Yeah," Sora replied. "No one in my family really knew much about our ancestry, and now, I find out they were famous war heroes."

"Yes," said Akiko. "And I don't remember if we told you, but Oukoku actually ended the war."

Sora gasped. "He did?!"

Hiro nodded. "Yes, the war only ended because of his actions. He defeated the instigator of the war."

Sora shook his head. "Wow. Just... wow."

"That's pretty much the reaction we expected." Akiko said.

"It all makes so much sense now," said Sora. "Why I've been visiting the crypt every day..."

"And why you have their hair and eye colors." Hikari added.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. It's so... surreal." He looked at Hiro. "So... what now?"

"Nothing today," said Hiro, "but there's somewhere you should visit tomorrow."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Where's that?"

"You'll see," Hiro said simply.

Sora shrugged at that, before standing up. "I'm... gonna go to bed now. This is a lot to take in."

Hiro nodded in understanding as Sora left to his room.

"This is incredible!" Hikari exclaimed. "After all this time, we found Oukoku's heir!"

Akiko turned to her husband. "Dear, could he possibly have any land or inheritance to that name?"

Hiro stroked his chin in thought. "Possibly. According to the lore, Wutai was Oukoku and Raiden's hometown before the worlds split. I'll look into it."

Akiko nodded. "Very well."

With that, Hiro and Akiko left, leaving Hiro alone in the study.

"Incredible," he said to himself. "Oukoku ended the original Keyblade War, and now his descendant is finishing what he started. I wonder... is it chance, or fate?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

(1): A female ninja, though it's probably obvious to most of you.

(2): I just had to insert some funny slapstick here.

Yes, the big reveal! That's why Sora's so drawn to that crypt!

Thanks to Kristen Verne for RP'ing this with me, as usual.

Please R&R. Until next time!


	7. Extended Family

**\- Chapter 6 -**

 **Extended Family  
**

* * *

The next morning, Sora was seated around the breakfast table with Hikari's family.

"So," Sora said as he popped a piece of fish into his mouth, "what's this place in town you said I should visit?"

"The shrine uptown," Hiro replied. "Now that we know that you're Oukoku's direct descendant, there are some people you need to meet."

Sora tilted his head quizzically. "Who?"

"Some distant relatives of yours." Akiko replied.

That surprised Sora. "Say what?"

"Oukoku and Kokoro had siblings and cousins," Hikari explained. "Three of the shrine maidens who work up there are descended from them."

"All of the others are descended from Raiden's extended family." Akiko added.

"Really?" Sora asked. "That's cool!"

Hikari nodded. "You'll like them. They're all nice girls."

"Can't wait to meet them." Sora said.

 **-X-**

After breakfast, Sora and Hikari made their way uptown to the shrine. Sora's jaw dropped at the sight of it; the shrine was a large, rather elegant-looking building, decorated in front by statues of Raiden, Oukoku, and Kokoro.

"Wow..." he said.

Hikari smiled. "Yep. It's impressive."

Sora turned to her. "So... where are those three girls you mentioned?"

"Wait here," Hikari said. "I'll track them down."

Sora nodded, and Hikari promptly ascended the steps. After a few minutes, she returned with three girls in tow. They all wore matching kimonos consisting of a white haori and red skirt, and all three of them had blue eyes and long brown hair.

The youngest girl looked to be about eight or nine, and her hair, which hung loosely down to her waist, was a very light shade of brown, bordering on blonde, similar to how Sora's hair had been a year before (1). The second girl appeared around fourteen, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a red ribbon. The eldest was Sora and Hikari's age, and her hair was dark brown, bordering on black, and pulled into a bun.

"Well, here he is, girls," Hikari said. The eldest girl walked over to him.

"Are you really our relative?" she asked.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. I'm Oukoku's direct descendant. We just found out last night."

The youngest girl smiled. "Wow! That's so awesome!"

Sora nodded. "My name's Sora."

The little girl came up to him. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Kumiko, but you can call me Kumi," She gestured to the girl with the ponytail, "She's Chiyo," and then to the girl with the bun, "and that's Rina."

Sora smiled. "It's very nice to meet all of you," He looked them up and down. "So... how are you three related?"

"Rina and I are second cousins," Chiyo explained. "As far as we know, Kumiko isn't blood-related to us at all."

"I'm from Kokoro's side of the family, and they're from Oukoku's." Kumiko explained.

"I see," said Sora. "So, what do you do here?"

"We help care for the shrine, and also learn archery and light magic to fight off Heartless," Rina said.

"I just help care for the shrine," Kumiko added. "I'm too young for active combat."

"She will be in three years." said Chiyo.

"That's really cool," Sora said, before gesturing to the shrine steps. "So, you wanna show me around the shrine?"

Rina nodded. "Right this way."

As they made their way up the steps to the shrine, Sora felt someone grab his hand, and looked down to see Kumiko smiling up at him.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I never thought I'd meet Oukoku's direct descendant," Kumiko replied.

"Lord Hiro and Lady Akiko tried tracking down his lineage for a while," Rina said. "They could never find it."

"Well, my family was on another world." Sora said.

"That explains it," said Chiyo. "So, what world are you from? What's it like?"

"The Destiny Islands," Sora said. "It's a big beach world."

"Are they pretty?" Kumiko asked.

Sora nodded. "Very pretty," He decided to change the subject. "So, what kind of magic do you girls know?"

"We don't use spells like Fire and Blizzard," Rina said. "That's considered dark magic by our shrine's teachings, so it's forbidden."

"We focus on Cure, Pearl, and Aero," Chiyo explained. "Not Kumi, though."

"I only know Cure." said Kumiko.

Sora thought for a minute, then smiled. "Maybe I could help you out."

Kumiko's eyes lit up. "Really? That'd be great!" She started bouncing up and down excitedly.

Sora turned to the others. "Is she... always like this?"

Rina nodded. "Her default setting is 'hamster on coffee.'" Kumiko giggled at that.

"Let's look around the shrine first," Sora said. "Then I'll teach you.

"Fair enough," said Kumiko. "C'mon!" She started dragging him up the steps.

Chiyo sighed. "And there she goes." The others followed, Kumiko dragging Sora along at a quick pace.

"Whoa, slow down a little, Kumi!" Sora said.

Kumiko did so, looking up at him sheepishly. "Right. Sorry."

"It's okay," said Sora as the others caught up. "So, do you girls live at the shrine?"

Chiyo shook her head. "We've got families in town we live with."

"Any siblings?" Sora asked.

"My mom's pregnant, so I'll have one in a few months," Kumiko said.

"I've got a little brother named Toshi. He's ten." said Chiyo.

"And my mom just had twin girls. Their names are Keiko and Chika," Rina said. "Do you have any siblings, Sora?"

Sora shook his head. "It's just me and my parents."

With that, they went upstairs and showed Sora around the shrine. Sora whistled in awe.

"Nice place," he said, before turning to the others. "So, if I'm gonna teach Kumi magic, do you have a training room?"

"We use the yard out back," Chiyo replied. "Follow us."

 **-X-**

They made their way to the training yard out back, which Sora noted was quite similar to the one in Hikari's yard.

"So, whatcha gonna teach me first?" Kumiko asked.

Sora knelt down to her level. "What do you know?"

"Just Cure." The little girl replied.

Sora nodded. "Okay, we'll start with Aero. You know about mana, right?"

Kumiko nodded. "Of course."

"Okay," said Sora. "It's pretty simple. Focus all your energy outward, and think about wind." He demonstrated. "Okay, your turn."

Kumiko closed her eyes and focused. "Wind!" She waved her hand, and created a small breeze.

"Try again," Sora said. "That wasn't bad for your first try."

"Okay," Kumiko said, taking a deep breath. "Wind!" This time, the wind was stronger, making everyone in the room stumble a bit.

"Well, she did it that time," said Chiyo. Everyone turned to her, and at the sight, started laughing.

Chiyo raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"You!" Kumiko said. "Nice bedhead!" Indeed, Chiyo's hair had been swept up crazily by the wind blast. She reached up and felt it.

"Aw, my hair!" Chiyo whined.

"Oh, my goodness..." Hikari said, wiping her eyes as Chiyo smoothed out her hair.

Sora chuckled. "Okay, fun's over. Now, I'm gonna teach you how to use Aero defensively (2)."

"I'm listening." said Kumiko.

"Focus the wind around you, like a shield," Sora said, demonstrating. "Your turn."

Kumiko blushed slightly. "Uh, could you turn away, please? With my luck, I'll blow up my skirt."

Sora reddened slightly and nodded. "Oh, yeah. Sure thing." He turned the other way.

"Okay," said Kumiko. "Wind!" A small tornado turned around her, and indeed, her skirt blew up in the breeze; everyone but Sora caught a glimpse of panda bear-print underwear.

"Oh, God!" Kumiko exclaimed, shoving her skirt back down and blushing furiously. The other girls giggled.

"I didn't see anything." Sora said, his back still turned.

"I guess that spell doesn't like you," Rina said.

"Apparently not," Kumiko said, still blushing.

"Still, not bad for your first try, Kumi," said Hikari.

Kumiko's eyes widened, and she broke out in a big grin. "Oh, gosh!" she said, putting her hands to her cheeks. "Lady Hikari praised me! I think I'm gonna faint..." Everyone chuckled at that.

"Yeah, Kumiko really looks up to me." Hikari said.

"I can see." Sora replied.

"And why shouldn't I?" Kumiko asked. "She's the princess, she's a warrior, and she's amazing."

Chiyo rolled her eyes. "And the fangirl surfaces."

Kumiko stuck her tongue out at Chiyo. "Zip it, Chi!"

Sora laughed. "You girls are so funny."

Rina smiled. "Why, thank you."

Sora nodded before turning to Kumiko. "So, wanna work on another spell?" Kumiko nodded. "How about Pearl?"

"Sure!" said Kumiko.

"Okay," said Sora. "Maybe after that, I can show you girls Faith." That got a gasp from the three shrine maidens.

"You know Faith?!" Chiyo asked.

"Well, yeah."

"Only Lord Hiro and the head of this shrine know that spell," Rina said.

Sora nodded. "Lord Hiro told me as such."

"I don't even think Rina and I could manage that spell." Chiyo said.

"If I tried, I'd blow myself up." Kumiko remarked.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Really? I never had that problem. Like I told Hikari and her parents, I don't know how I learned Faith. It just came to me."

Rina tilted her head quizzically. "That _is_ strange."

"But cool." Chiyo added.

"Yeah, it is," Sora said. "Now, on to Pearl. I never used it much myself, but I know how to use it. My friend Mickey uses it all the time, and taught it to me (3)."

"So, how exactly does it work?" Kumiko asked.

"It's pretty simple," Sora replied. "Focus your mana into light, then compress the light into a ball."

"Hold on a second." Hikari said. "Chiyo, Rina, let's set up the training dummies."

They nodded, and the three girls did so.

"Okay, I'll demonstrate," Sora said, holding up his hand. "Light!" A sphere of light appeared in his palm, and he threw it at one of the dummies, hitting it with enough force to blast it off its post.

"Whoa!" Kumiko exclaimed in awe.

"Yep," Sora said. "Now, your turn."

Kumiko nodded, and closed her eyes while raising her hand. "Light!" A ball of light, visibly smaller than Sora's, appeared in her palm, and she threw it at another one of the dummies. It swayed slightly, but that was about it.

"I did it!" Kumiko squealed.

Sora smiled. "Great job. Keep practicing."

Kumiko nodded and continued to do so, eventually managing to cast it on Sora's level.

"Not bad, Kumi," Chiyo said. "You're a natural."

Kumiko smiled as she sat on the grass. "Thanks, Chi." She turned to Sora. "And thanks to you too, Sora."

Sora nodded. "No problem."

Kumiko jumped up excitedly. "I can actually use combat magic now! I'm so excited, I could just..." Her jaw dropped and she let out an ecstatic squee.

Sora couldn't help but laugh.

Rina smiled. "You get used to it."

Sora nodded before turning to Kumiko. "You're so adorable. You remind me of my best friend's sister."

"I do?" asked Kumiko.

Sora nodded. "She's a little older than you, but yeah. You're both cute and innocent."

Kumiko blushed. "Well, thanks."

Sora smiled at her before turning back to the other girls. "So, you said only the head of the shrine knows Faith. Who is she?"

"Her name's Mika," Chiyo replied. "She should be back soon."

At that very moment, the door leading back to the shrine opened, and an older woman, around Hiro and Akiko's age, came out. Her hair was black and pulled into a bun, and her eyes were hazel.

"There you girls are," she said.

"And there she is now," Rina said. Hikari stood to face the woman, who Sora quickly realized was Mika.

"Hello, Mika," she said.

Mika bowed respectfully. "Hello, Princess."

"How have you been?" Hikari asked.

"Just fine," Mika said before turning to Sora. "And you must be this Sora I've heard so much about around town. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sora waved a hand. "Hiya."

"Not just that, but he's Oukoku's direct descendant!" Kumiko piped up.

That took Mika aback. "Truly?!"

Sora nodded. "We just found out last night."

"Amazing," said Mika. "Then it's no wonder these three were missing."

"He's also been teaching Kumiko magic." Rina said.

"And he knows Faith!" Chiyo added.

Again, Mika was taken aback. "He does?!" Sora nodded. "Able to perform such a high-level spell at your age... you truly _are_ Oukoku's heir."

Sora scratched the back of his head. "Well, I didn't exactly learn the spell. I just knew it for some reason."

Kumiko raised an eyebrow. "You just... knew it?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but that's how it is?"

"How powerful is your spell?" Mika asked.

Sora shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen anyone else cast it, so I don't know a comparison."

"I see," said Mika. "Maybe another day, I can cast the spell and then see how strong your spell is."

"Maybe," Sora said, before deciding to change the subject. "It was kinda cool to find out I have cousins. My parents were only children, and so was I."

"I see," said Rina.

"But enough about that," Sora turned to Mika. "As for the spells, don't worry, I only taught Kumi what was authorized by the shrine. Aero and Pearl."

Mika smiled. "Thank you."

Kumiko blushed. "And I learned _never_ to wear a skirt when using Aero defensively."

Chiyo chuckled. "Yeah, the wind blew her skirt right up."

Mika's eyes widened. "Oh, my."

"Don't worry," said Sora. "I looked the other way."

Mika nodded. "Well, that's good."

"Still," Hikari said. "It was funny on our end."

"And embarrassing on mine," Kumiko said. "Let's not talk about it anymore." She took Sora's hand. "You wanna hang out for a bit?"

Sora smiled. "Of course. I'd love to get to know my new cousins better."

With that, the group exited the training yard.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

(1): If you recall, in _II_ , Sora's hair was a much lighter shade of brown, bordering on blonde.

(2): In the first game, when Sora cast Aero, it focused around his body as a defensive barrier.

(3): I personally think Sora's spent enough time around Mickey to have picked up a few tricks.

And here we go. The characters of the shrine maidens are derived from yet another RP Kristen Verne and I did a while back; the idea of them being descended from Oukoku's siblings and whatnot came from her.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Kumiko - Lara Woodhull (Mirai from _Senran Kagura_ , Hinami Fueguchi from _Tokyo Ghoul_ )

* Chiyo - Emily Osment (Lilly Truscott from _Hannah Montana,_ Gerti Giggles from _Spy Kids_ , Gabi Diamond from _Young & Hungry)_

* Rina - Brianna Knickerbocker (Sakura and Charlotte from _Fire Emblem Fates,_ Marga from _Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic_ )

Chiyo's mental VA is a casting gag, since Emily Osment and Haley Joel Osment, Sora's VA, are brother and sister in real life.

Please R&R. Until next time...


	8. Lessons in Stealth

**\- Chapter 7 -**

 **Lessons in Stealth**

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

Okay, I finally worked out ideas for mental VAs for the characters I forgot/didn't think up in previous chapters. And here they are:

* Ken: Austin Tindle (Ken Kaneki from _Tokyo Ghoul_ , Alzack Connell from _Fairy Tail,_ Shu Ouma from _Guilty Crown_ )

* Midori: Brittney Karbowski (Wendy Marvell from _Fairy Tail_ , Mikoto Misaka from _A Certain Scientific Railgun_ )

* Mika: Jennifer Hale (Sheena Fujibayashi from _Tales of Symphonia,_ Naomi Hunter from _Metal Gear Solid,_ the female Commander Shepard in _Mass Effect_ )

* * *

 **Two months later...  
**

Sora and Hiro had just finished another training session, and stood there, catching their breath. Sora looked up at the older man, curious about something.

"I gotta say," he said, "the Twilight Blade is amazing. Wielding light and darkness in balance... I don't think there's another weapon like it."

Hiro chuckled at that. "Actually, there is," he said. "Believe it or not, there is one other sword I heard about that shares the same power."

That got Sora's attention. "Really?"

Hiro nodded. "Yes. Dawn's Might, I believe was the sword's name. Over ten years ago, an apprentice swordsman from another world came to visit, seeking to expand his training, and he told me that Twilight Blade bore a striking resemblance to his master's sword, including its power to wield light and darkness in a delicate balance. The only difference he noticed was the shape of the guard."

"Wow," said Sora. "That's a coincidence."

Hiro shook his head. "I'm not so sure it is. I didn't mention it before, because I didn't really think it was too important, but Raiden had another sword like the Twilight Blade forged. A sister sword, if you will. I believe Dawn's Might may have been that sword."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "A sister sword, huh? And this apprentice swordsman, what was his name?"

"Sasuke Kazekiri."

"Oh," Sora replied. "I don't know him."

"I see," Hiro said. "Well, back to the story. I was told that Dawn's Might was a family heirloom passed down through a special tradition. It was to be passed down to either the oldest son when he finds the woman he loved, or to the man who desires the oldest daughter's heart should the father approve. You see, that sword was more than just a special weapon, it was a symbol of protection. Any man who wields that sword makes a promise to protect the woman he love, and by extension any children they have."

Sora whistled in awe. "Wow! Sounds like that sword was a very big deal."

"Indeed," said Hiro. "Unfortunately, Dawn's Might has gone missing after its previous owner was slain. A shame too, I would've liked to see that sword for myself, not to mention meet the man who wielded it. Kaname Mae, I believe his name was. His apprentice spoke very highly of him, both as a warrior and as a man." He chuckled. "Speaking of his apprentice, you kind of remind me of him in a sense."

"I do?" Sora asked. "How?"

"Sasuke Kazekiri was around the same age as you are now when he came to our world," Hiro explained. "He was a well mannered boy, had a strong sense of honor and justice, and valued the concept of loyalty above all else. He also had quite an interesting sword himself: Moon Cutter, a wide bladed katana with the power to absorb and redirect whatever force or magic it clashes with. He did however have his sorrow. He had just lost his home world, his mother, and his master, Kaname, who was the closest thing he ever had to a father. And meanwhile he had no knowledge of what happened to his three best friends, one of them being his master's very young daughter, while he himself was stranded on another world."

Sora winced at that. "Man. Sounds like this Sasuke guy had it tough."

"Indeed," Hiro said. "But after a little soul searching and some help from the locals, he was able to pick himself back up, and when he found a means to leave that world, he decided to travel to other worlds to expand his horizons, learn some new things about being a swordsman, and become the strong warrior his master would've wanted him to be, as well as hopefully finding out what happened to his missing friends. When came to our world and he saw my blade, he requested to train under me for a while. He was quite the hard worker, training until he dropped. The dedication to his training, his devotion to those he cares about, and his will to protect the innocent and prevent the another tragedy from occurring. Those are what you remind of, Sora."

"I see." said Sora.

"He also formed a kind of brother-sister relationship with Hikari, who was very young at the time," Hiro continued. "The two were pretty close. I imagine his master's daughter must be about the same age as her. He and Seiko were also pretty tight. Sadly, he couldn't stay long. After a year, he decided it was time to resume his journey. He thanked us for our lessons and told us he will always keep them in his heart before saying good bye. We haven't seen him since. I wonder what Sasuke is doing right now. Hopefully, he's become a fine man and warrior."

"I'm sure he has," said Sora. "So... what now?"

"Well, today's lesson has concluded," Hiro said. "You can just relax for the rest of the day, while I work out tomorrow's."

Sora nodded, and bowed respectfully to Hiro before leaving. Hiro remained behind, lost in thought.

"Sasuke," he said to himself, "I hope you're alright."

 **-X-**

Sora was met with Hikari and Akiko back at the house.

"Done for the day?" Hikari asked, getting a nod from Sora in response. "So, what now?"

"I was gonna hang out at the shrine for a while," Sora replied. "To visit my cousins."

"Mind if I come along?" Hikari asked. Sora shook his head.

"See you kids later," Akiko said.

 **-X-**

The two made their way to the shrine, only to see a small gathering of people in front of the steps.

"What's going on?" Sora asked.

Hikari shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea."

They went up to the shrine, and saw they were crowded around a brown-and-white furred Akita Inu dog with a red collar; Kumiko in particular was fawning over it.

"Oh," Hikari smiled. "It's just Miko."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Miko?"

Hikari turned to him. "My friend's dog," she explained. "He comes here every day to wait for him whenever he gets off work."

"I see," Sora said, before turning to observe Kumiko playing with the dog.

"Oh, aren't you just the cutest thing!" Kumiko squeed; Miko wagged his tail, panting.

Kumiko held a hand out to him. "Shake..." Miko obediently gave her his front paw. "Good boy!"

"Cute dog," Sora said, before turning back to Hikari. "So, who's the friend he belongs to?"

"His name's Taiichi, or Tai for short," Hikari replied. "He's about a year older than us, works as a ninja. His girlfriend Mizuki works here as a shrine maiden, so he stops here every day to see her after work. That's why Miko comes here to wait for him."

"Every day, you said?"

Hikari nodded. "Tai got him as a birthday present from Mizuki two years ago when he was just a puppy. Since then, they've been inseparable. He's the most loyal dog I've ever seen."

"I can see that," Sora said. With that, they made their way over to Kumiko and the others, who looked up at their arrival.

"Hi, Sora!" Kumiko said, smiling.

Sora smiled back. "Hey, Kumi." Miko came over and sniffed him.

"Hi, pup," Sora said to the dog, reaching down and scratching him between the ears. "He's so soft..."

"I know, right?" Kumiko said.

"So, Miko's waiting out here again, huh?" came a female voice. They all looked up the steps to see a girl around Sora and Hikari's age, with long black hair, complete with light brown highlights (1), and blue eyes, making her way down. She wore the traditional shrine maiden attire, but the top was trimmed with gold, and she wore makeup on her face consisting of pink eyeshadow and lip gloss. She also wore white earrings, and had two small blue ribbons tied in her hair above each ear.

Hikari smiled at the girl. "Hey, Mizuki."

Mizuki returned the smile as she descended the stairs completely. "Hello, Hikari."

Miko let out another bark and trotted over to Mizuki, rubbing against her leg. Mizuki smiled and scratched him between the ears before looking back up at Sora and Hikari.

"You must be Sora," she said.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you."

"Same to you," Mizuki replied.

Suddenly, Miko's ears perked up, and he ran down the steps.

Mizuki smiled at that. "Looks like Tai's back."

The three of them looked off to the side to see two people, a boy and a girl, emerge from the woods.

The boy was around sixteen or seventeen, with short brown hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a black gi with yellow trim and a yellow belt, with black fingerless gloves, black shoes, and a yellow bandana tied around his head. On the chest and back of the gi and backs of the gloves was the insignia of a Chinese dragon biting its own tail, Ouroboros-style (2).

The girl was around fourteen or fifteen, and had long dark brown hair and aquamarine-colored eyes (3). She wore square-rimmed glasses, and was dressed in a dark blue kimono decorated with pink cherry blossoms, and a pink obi. The two were chatting amongst themselves as Miko excitedly ran up to them.

The boy, Tai, smiled and knelt down, petting Miko. "Hey, boy." Miko barked happily, and Tai looked up to see Mizuki, Hikari, and Sora approach.

"Hey, babe," Tai said, smiling. Mizuki reached him, and they embraced and kissed before pulling away. "How have you been?"

"Just fine," Mizuki said. "How was the patrol?"

"Uneventful," said the glasses-wearing girl. "Just a few Heartless."

Mizuki nodded. "Good to hear."

Sora turned to Hikari. "Who's the other girl?"

"Erika," Hikari replied. "Tai's little sister." With that, she waved at them. "Hey, Tai!"

Tai smiled. "Good to see you, Kari," He turned to Sora. "And you must be Sora."

Sora nodded. "Nice to meet you."

Tai nodded back. "Same to you," He petted Miko on the head. "And you've met my buddy already."

Sora smiled. "He's a sweet dog."

"Yep," said Tai. "And here's something else cool about him. Look at his collar."

Sora did so, and saw a green, comma-shaped bead hanging from it. "What is it?"

"That's a magatama bead," Tai explained. "It's enchanted, and lets Miko cast magic."

Sora was amazed. "Wow! That's so cool!" He thought for a minute. "A dog using magic. Never thought I'd see the day." The others laughed.

"Yeah, Miko's pretty smart," Erika said. "Watch." She knelt down to the dog and held up three fingers. "How many fingers do I have up?" Miko barked three times, and Erika patted his head. "Good boy!"

"He _is_ smart," Sora said in awe. "So, how does he use magic, exactly? How does that charm work?"

"I'll show you," Tai said, kneeling down to Miko. "Miko, Freeze!" Miko howled at that, and the charm glowed blue before generating ice.

"Wow!" Sora exclaimed. "So it's voice activated?"

"Not exactly," Erika said. "That was a demonstration. He just thinks of a spell, and it activates."

Sora whistled in awe. "That... is the smartest dog I've ever seen."

Erika nodded, before turning to Tai. "I'll see you later, Tai. I promised Chi we'd meet up after work."

"Okay, sis," Tai said. "Go ahead."

Erika smiled at him and walked off, and Tai turned to Hikari. "Mizu and I will see you later as well, Kari. We've got a date."

Hikari nodded. "Alright. See you guys later."

Tai and Mizuki walked off hand-in-hand, Miko following, and Sora himself turned to Hikari.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing to the steps.

"After you," Hikari said, and they both ascended the steps.

* * *

 **The next morning...**

Sora woke up earlier than usual that day, and carefully made his way to the kitchen. He looked around the kitchen, and found a container of batter and a frying pan.

He smiled. "Perfect." With that, he got to work.

Soon, Hiro, Akiko, and Hikari woke up, and smelling something cooking, they went into the kitchen to see Sora humming as he cooked.

"Sora?" said Hikari.

Sora turned to look at them. "Oh, good morning."

"What are you doing?" Akiko asked.

"Making breakfast," Sora replied. "Consider it my way of repaying you guys for taking me in and training me."

"Alright then," said Hiro. "What are you making?"

"Pancakes."

Hikari and her parents exchanged confused glances. "What are pancakes?"

Sora raised an eyebrow. "You've never heard of pancakes?" Hikari shook her head. "Well, then you're in for a treat."

"It _does_ smell good," Akiko said.

"Trust me," said Sora. "You won't be disappointed."

 **-X-**

Sora soon finished the pancakes, and set them out on plates for everyone. "Careful," he warned. "They're hot."

"Okay," Hikari said. "Here goes." She took a bite, and her eyes lit up.

"Wow!" she said. "This is fantastic!"

Hiro and Akiko took bites out of their own, and both smiled and nodded in approval.

"Why have we not had these before?" Hikari asked.

"Who knows?" Sora said. "And they're even better with butter and syrup."

"Hold on a sec." Hikari stood up, and went into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of maple syrup.

"It was in the cupboard above the sink," she explained, before pouring it on her pancakes. She took another bite and her eyes lit up again.

"You were right," she said. "Amazing."

Sora smiled, before turning to Hiro. "So, what's the lesson for today?"

"I'm not in charge of today's lesson," Hiro said. "Tai is."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Hikari's friend?"

Hiro nodded. "We decided you should learn stealth training, and Tai is better at it than me."

"Stealth training?" Sora said. "Neat!"

"Yes," said Hiro. "Not everything can be solved with the head-on approach. Some things require finesse and the indirect approach."

Sora nodded. "I can understand that."

"He and Erika will be by after breakfast," said Akiko.

 **-X-**

After breakfast, Sora went down to the training yard, to find Tai, Erika, and Miko already there.

"Hey, guys," he said. Tai and Erika waved. "Lord Hiro told me everything. So, what all are we learning?"

"Stealth and tracking," Erika replied.

"Cool," said Sora. "So, what is there to stealth? Just being sneaky and making sure nobody sees you?"

Tai shook his head. "No. If it were that easy, _any_ goof could be a ninja."

Sora considered that. "Yeah, that's a good point. Well made. So, where do we start?"

"Follow us," said Tai, who turned and began to walk off. Erika, Miko, and Sora all followed him to a large, dense forest on the edge of the town.

"You ready?" he asked. Sora nodded. "I find it's best to learn on the fly."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "And that means?"

"You find me, without me spotting you." With that, Tai took off into the trees with Miko in hot pursuit.

Sora watched him go. "This... could be a problem."

Erika adjusted her glasses. "Don't worry, I'm here to help you. So, tell me. What are you gonna do first?"

Sora thought for a minute. "I guess go look for him."

Erika nodded. "But don't just charge off recklessly. He'll hear you coming a mile away."

"Good point," Sora replied.

"First," Erika said, "look for signs as to which direction he went."

"Okay," said Sora. "What exactly am I looking for?"

"Anything," Erika explained. "Footprints, disturbed leaves and branches..."

Sora nodded at that, and looked around. Before long, he found a set of footprints in the mud.

"I got something," he said. Erika came over. "He must have gone this way." He pointed down the path.

"Okay," Erika said. "Now, what do you do next?"

"Follow them, of course."

"Right," Erika said. "But what else are you gonna do?"

Sora got her meaning at that. "Sneak along, and make sure he doesn't hear or see me coming."

"Bingo," Erika said, smiling. "After you. And if they end, look for other signs for where Tai went."

Sora nodded, and followed the tracks, moving slowly and carefully; Erika followed. Before long, the tracks came to an end.

"Hmmm... end of the line," Sora whispered.

"You missed something," Erika whispered back. "Look around some more, and then I'd consider backtracking."

"Got it," Sora said. He did so, and then noticed something.

"Wait," he said. "Something's different about these tracks." He looked around, finding a spot where it looked like someone jumped, and then found more tracks. "Those tracks over there were a decoy."

"Yep," Erika said. "A psych-out."

Sora followed the new set of tracks, and a few feet in, he stopped, seeing Miko sniffing around. He quickly hid behind a tree and watched as the dog sat under a tree and looked up.

"Miko!" Sora whispered. "That means Tai's in that tree."

Erika came in behind him. "He doesn't know we're here. What're you gonna do?"

"Get up in the tree behind him," Sora said. "But first, I gotta distract Miko." He thought for a minute, then snapped his fingers. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small candy bar he brought for a snack.

"I'll bait Miko away with this, and then sneak up on Tai."

Erika smiled at that. "Good plan. But that's not chocolate, right?"

"No," Sora said. He opened the wrapper and laid the bar down on the ground. Miko sniffed the air and came over, and Sora, acting quickly, made his way to the opposite side of the three from where Miko was sitting. Finding a climbing spot, he made his way up quickly and quietly. He looked up, and sure enough, Tai was sitting casually on a higher branch, unaware that Sora was there.

Sora grinned and made his way up to where Tai was, still unseen. "Boo."

Tai looked down to see the young Keybearer below him. "You got me," he said. "Not bad for your first try."

"Thanks," Sora said. With that, they climbed down.

"So..." he said as Erika and Miko came over, "what now?"

"Now you have to hide from me," Tai said.

Sora looked at him and gulped. "Oh, no."

Tai smiled. "Oh, yes. You have ten minutes."

"Well..." Sora said. "I'd better split." He took off into the trees.

Erika chuckled and shook her head. "He's done for."

"Most likely," Tai replied. "Well, now we wait."

Ten minutes later, Tai excused himself to his sister and followed the footprints Sora left behind. As he continued going, he found several disturbed bushes and plants.

Tai rolled his eyes. "Jeez, all these obvious markers. He might as well have put up a big neon sign that said, 'I went that-away.'" He shrugged. "Oh well. It _is_ his first lesson."

Before long, the trail ended at a set of bushes. Tai went over there, sure enough, Sora was lying down among them.

"Hey, man, how's it goin?" Tai said casually. Sora looked up.

"Yeah, I saw this coming," he said as he got up.

"Don't beat yourself up," he said. "It's your first lesson, after all."

"True," said Sora. "So... what now?"

"We try again," Tai replied. "Practice makes perfect. Again, you have ten minutes."

Sora nodded and took off. Tai waited patiently for another ten minutes.

"Here we go again..." Tai said to himself as he went, finding more footsteps and torn bushes.

"Man, this is too easy," he said. "We're gonna have to work on that."

Before long, he found Sora hiding in a tree. "Hello again."

"Dang it!" Sora said as he slid down the tree.

"Okay, let me give you some tips," Tai said. "You're leaving an obvious trail. If you ever leave a trail like that, use it as a distraction. Step on rocks and large logs to avoid leaving footprints. And avoid bushes to keep from tearing them."

"Okay." said Sora.

"Again, you have ten minutes."

Sora nodded. "Third time's the charm." And with that, he took off. Tai waited another ten minutes.

"Now, let's see if he actually gives me a challenge this time," Tai said. He followed the footprints, only for them to come to an abrupt end at a tree. He looked around, and saw another set of prints leading between another set of trees.

"He's learning," Tai said to himself before following the prints, only to run into another dead in. He smiled in approval.

"He took my advice to heart," he said. "Now... where is he?" Before long, he found a set of footprints near a small cave.

"Hmmm..." Tai went into the cave and looked around, but saw nothing.

"Huh," he said. "Must be another decoy." He turned and walked out.

As Tai left, something shifted in the back of the cave. That something was Sora; he had stood backwards and covered the colorful parts of his clothes with mud, to avoid being seen from the mouth of the cave. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can't believe that worked," he whispered. "Now what?"

Suddenly, Miko came into the cave, walking over and sitting down, wanting him to be pet. After a minute, Sora scratched him between the ears.

"There you are," came Tai's voice. Sora jumped and looked up to see him at the cave entrance.

"Oh, poop," he said. Tai smiled at that.

"Miko gave you away this time," Tai said. "I saw him go into the cave and figured something was up."

Sora playfully glared at Miko. "Traitor." Miko just wagged his tail, and Sora laughed and pet him.

"Either way, you did much better this time," Tai said as Sora came out of the cave. "If it wasn't for Miko, I'd have no idea you were in there."

"Thanks," said Sora. "So, what now?"

"That's about it for now," Tai said. "Let's get Erika and head back."

They went, and soon met up with Erika. "How'd it go?" she asked.

"First two times were easy," Tai replied. "He did a lot better the third time. I only found him because Miko ratted him out."

"I see," said Erika, before looking at the mud-drenched Sora. "What, did you hide in a mud puddle?"

"Not exactly," said Sora. "I hid in a cave and covered the colorful parts of my clothes in mud to blend in."

"Not a bad strategy," Erika said. Miko barked at that, and Erika smiled and started rubbing his head.

"Who's a good boy?" she cooed playfully. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? Who gets all the kissies? You do! Yeah, you do! (4)" Miko wagged his tail excitedly.

Tai chuckled. "You spoiled dog." He pet his head as well.

 **-X-**

The three made their way back to Hikari's house, where Hikari and her parents were waiting.

"How did it go?" Hiro asked.

"Just fine," Tai replied.

Hikari looked Sora up and down. "Did you go mud-wrestling or something?"

"It was part of my cover," Sora replied.

"The first two times he hid, he left a trail everywhere and I found him easy," Tai explained. "The third time, I gave him advice and he took it."

"Two decoy trails, and then I hid in a cave and covered my clothes in mud to blend in," Sora added. "Sadly, after Tai left, Miko came in and gave me away, wanting his ears scratched."

Hikari giggled. "Outdone by the dog."

"Yep," said Sora, before turning to Akiko. "I don't wanna be a burden or anything, but could you wash my clothes, please?"

"Of course." Akiko said.

"I have an old training uniform you can wear while your clothes are being washed," Hiro said, before turning to Tai and Erika. "Thank you for helping out with his training."

Tai bowed respectfully. "It was no trouble, Lord Hiro."

"If you need us again, let us know," Erika said, bowing as well.

"I will," Hiro said. "You're free to go."

"Okay," Tai said. "I've got a date with Mizuki tonight. Don't wanna be late."

With that, he and Erika walked off, and Hiro led Sora inside. He came out shortly afterwards, wearing a navy blue training gi with black wristbands, belt, and undershirt.

"That's the training gi I wore when I was your age," he said. "Hasn't seen much use since then, but I took care of it."

"I can tell," Sora said. "It's really comfy." He turned to Akiko. "My old clothes are next to my door, Lady Akiko."

"I'll get to washing them." Akiko said. Hikari looked at Sora in her father's uniform, and blushed slightly at the sight. Sora turned to her and noticed.

"Uh, Hikari, are you okay?" he asked. "Your face is red."

Hikari jumped slightly. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's just a little hot out."

Sora shrugged at that, and turned to Hiro. "So, what now?"

"Just relax," Hiro said.

"Sounds like a plan," Sora said, going back inside. Akiko turned to her daughter, who was hiding her blushing face.

"Are you sure you're alright, dear?" she asked.

Hikari turned to her mother. "Of course I am, Mama. Why wouldn't I be?"

Akiko giggled slightly. "Oh, no reason." With that, she and Hiro went inside, and Hikari placed her hand on her heart.

"What is this feeling?" she asked. "Do I... Could I..." she shook her head. "No, I can't have those feelings for him. It's gotta be something else. It's just gotta be..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

(1): Think like Rinoa's hairstyle in _Final Fantasy VIII._

(2): Ouroboros: the symbol of a snake eating its own tail.

(3): Think like Riku's eye color.

(4): A line taken from an episode of _RWBY Chibi._

Well, another chapter down. Sorry for the wait.

Thanks again to Kristen Verne for RP'ing this with me.

The characters of Sasuke Kazekiri and Kaname Mae, mentioned here, are the property of YamiChaos27 and Kristen Verne, respectively. Thank you, Yami, for giving me the idea for that scene where Hiro talks about him.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Tai - Bryce Papenbrook (Kirito from _Sword Art Online,_ Eren Yeager from _Attack on Titan_ , Rin Okumura from _Blue Exorcist_ )

* Erika - Cassandra Lee Morris (Leafa from _Sword Art Online,_ Morgana from _Persona 5_ , Tsurara Oikawa from _Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan_ )

* Mizuki - Kari Wahlgren (Fuu from _Samurai Champloo,_ Emma Frost from _X-Men: Destiny,_ Shelke Rui from _Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII_ )

Please R&R. Until next time!


	9. Love Epiphany

**\- Chapter 8 -**

 **Love Epiphany  
**

* * *

 **The next day...  
**

Hikari saw Sora off as he went into the forest with Seiko and Tai for a new lesson. She started off for several minutes, before sighing and placing a hand on her chest.

"What is wrong with me?" she pondered. "These feelings... every time I look at Sora nowadays. Is it... could I..." She shook her head. "No, that's ridiculous. I don't feel that way about him. He's just a really sweet guy, and fun to be around."

Hikari went back inside. _This is stupid,_ she thought. _I gotta find something to get my mind off this._

* * *

"So what are we doing today?" Sora asked the two ninjas as they led him into the forest.

"We're gonna develop your speed and agility," Seiko replied.

"Okay," said Sora. "So what do you want me to do?"

Their path ended at a steep cliff wall. "Here we are," said Tai. "And to answer your question, we're gonna teach you how to run on walls."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "On walls? No offense, Tai, but do I look like a spider or a gecko?"

"Watch me," was all Tai said. He got a running start and rapidly dashed up the wall, making it up several feet before he lost his momentum; he fell, and landed perfectly on his feet unscathed.

"That's what we want you to do," Tai explained.

"Well, okay," said Sora. "Any tips or tricks?"

"Get a running start," Tai replied. "And practice makes perfect."

Sora nodded uncertainly, and then ran at the wall... only to misjudge his timing and slam right into it full force; Seiko and Tai both winced.

"...Ouch." Sora said, wincing as he pulled back and rubbed his arm.

"And that's why we have Cure spells." Seiko said matter-of-factly as she healed him. Sora rolled his arm around before nodding.

"Well, that was embarrassing." he said.

"Yeah, I've done that myself," Tai said. "Like you, it was my first time. Now, try again."

Sora nodded and attempted the wall run again and again, missing sometimes, but climbing higher at others. Eventually, he was standing before them, exhausted.

"Not too bad." said Seiko.

"So..." Sora said, panting, "how much more do you want me to do?"

"You can take a breather." Seiko replied. Sora obediently sat down.

"On the positive side, nothing's broken," Sora said, before wincing. "Except my spine. And ribs. Maybe everything else. Ouch..."

Tai rolled his eyes. "This coming from the guy who walked off getting tossed through a solid wooden fence."

"Yeah," Sora said, "but not over and over again."

Tai conceded. "Yeah, that's a good point. Well made."

Sora just cast Cure on himself as he sat down, sighing in relief. The three enjoyed the piece and quiet of the forest-

-until they heard a scream coming from the town.

Sora sprang up. "Someone's in trouble! Let's go!"

He dashed off, Seiko and Tai close behind.

* * *

Back at the village, Hikari heard the scream, and then a bell went off. The town's alarm system, signifying a Heartless attack. Grabbing her sword, she ran out the door, only to freeze up at the sight of the Heartless out there.

"No..." she gasped, petrified. "Not them... _anything_ but them..."

The Heartless in question were large, fat, spider like creatures. They had three yellow eyes, black-and-purple stripes across their bodies, six legs, two fangs dripping with deadly venom, and the Heartless Emblem on the backs of their abdomens.

Hikari began shaking with fear at the sight of her worst nightmare; the Arachne Heartless. Several turned their attention to her, and Hikari backed up against a tree.

 _Nonononononono..._

The logical part of her mind was screaming at her to fight back... but Hikari's body was frozen stiff with terror. She couldn't move a muscle; all she could do was quiver.

* * *

Sora, Seiko, and Tai all emerged from the forest to see the Arachnes attacking. Sora raised an eyebrow, having never seen this Heartless breed before.

"What _are_ those things?" he asked.

"Arachnes!" Tai said. "We need to take them out!"

They charged in and destroyed several of them, and soon stopped short at the sight of Hikari cornered by several Arachnes.

" _KARI!_ " Tai screamed in horror.

"What are you doing?!" Sora shouted. "Run!" Hikari gave no indication that she heard him.

"It's no use!" Seiko shouted. "She's terrified of spiders!" Suddenly, several Arachnes leapt upon Seiko and Tai, pinning them down. Sora turned his attention back to Hikari, just as one Arachne got up to her and reared back, preparing to jab her with its fangs. Hikari gasped and shut her eyes, bracing for the attack.

" _NO!_ " Acting on instinct, Sora ran over and pushed Hikari out of the way, just in time for the Arachne's fangs to sink into his chest. Sora gasped and hit the ground, turning pale as foam began to bubble out of his mouth.

Hikari got up just in time to see Sora hit the ground, and gasped in horror; the sight of her friend on the ground, in pain from the deadly venom in his veins, broke through her paralysis, and she quickly drew her sword and slew the Heartless around them in record time. Seiko and Tai ran over to them as Hikari knelt by Sora, tears in her eyes as she clasped his hand in hers.

"Sora! Sora!" Hikari pleaded, tears in her eyes. "Please! You can't die on me! You _can't_!"

Seiko grabbed him and hoisted him onto her shoulders in a fireman's carry. "We need to get him to Lady Akiko NOW!"

Hikari nodded; Akiko's mother, Setsuna, had been trained in medicine and herbal remedies, and had passed on her knowledge to her daughter. Fortunately, that included a remedy for Arachne venom.

They quickly rushed back to the house and barged in. Hiro and Akiko came running.

"What happened?!" Hiro demanded, seeing Sora's condition.

"An Arachne attack," Seiko said. "Sora's been bitten."

Akiko quickly sprang into action. "Quickly, lay him down over here." Seiko did so, putting him down gently. "Seiko, go to my room, and get the red and blue potions from my medicinal cabinet." Seiko immediately ran off to get them as Akiko turned to Hikari and Tai. "Hikari, you and Tai wait outside."

Hikari shook his head. "But, Mama, he-"

"Hikari Tokimiya!" Akiko said sternly. "Do as I say!"

"C'mon," Tai took Hikari's hand and led her out, as Seiko came back holding two potions, one red as blood, the other blue as a robin's egg.

"Thank you," Akiko said as she took the potions.

Sora looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "L-Lady Akiko..." he slurred.

"Shhh," Akiko said, placing a finger on his lips. "Save your strength."

"H-Hikari," Sora said, "is she okay?"

"She's fine," Akiko replied. "But you're not. Seiko, get his shirt."

Seiko obediently removed his shirt, and Akiko looked down; the bite mark was in nearly the dead center of Sora's chest, the skin around it was purple and swollen, and his veins stood out prominently from all directions, bulging with tainted blood.

"Hold him down," Akiko said as she opened the red potion. "This is _not_ going to be fun."

Seiko did so, and Akiko poured some of the potion over the wound. Almost immediately, Sora screamed in agony and started thrashing.

"Shhh," Akiko said soothingly. "It's okay. It'll be okay, Sora."

"GOD, IT HURTS!" Sora screamed, paying her no mind.

Staying calm, Akiko turned to Hiro. "Get him something to bite down on. A wad of cloth, or a piece of soft wood."

Hiro went to do so.

* * *

Tai and Hikari sat outside on the porch, wincing at the sound of Sora's agonized screams.

"Poor guy..." Tai said to himself. He turned to Hikari, who was sobbing.

"It's my fault," she said. "All my fault..."

"Hikari..." Tai began, but Hikari shook her head.

"You saw what happened, Tai!" she cried. "I'm a coward! I just froze up and stood there, and that's why Sora got bitten! He got hurt to save my life." She wrapped her arms around herself, shaking. "It should've been me. _It should've been me!_ "

Something inside Tai snapped at that, and he whirled on Hikari, somewhat roughly grabbing her by the shoulders; Hikari gasped in shock.

"That's enough, Hikari!" he shouted. "Don't you _ever_ let me hear you say that again!"

Hikari looked at him wide-eyed as he went on. "Sora is going to be fine! He is _not_ gonna die! And it's _not_ your fault!" Tai took a deep breath to compose yourself. "You both know that spiders freak you out. It's only natural you'd freeze up like that."

"B-but-" Hikari began.

"But _nothing_ ," Tai insisted, before sighing. "Kari, you're one of my closest friends. Please... don't do this to yourself."

Hikari sniffled, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks. "I'm just so scared for him, Tai. What if he-"

"Lady Akiko knows what to do," Tai said. "She's done this before." He pulled his friend into a comforting hug. "I promise you, on my honor as a ninja, that Sora's gonna be okay."

Hikari just kept weeping silently into Tai's chest, and all he could do was hold her and provide whatever comfort he could.

* * *

Back inside, Sora bit down on a wadded-up piece of cloth as Akiko mixed the blue and red potions together, making a purple one. She looked down at the wound, which was losing its purple color and puffiness.

"Okay," she said. "Seiko, help him sit up." Seiko removed the cloth from his mouth and did so.

"Sora," Akiko said, holding up the purple potion. "I need you to drink this. It's the antitoxin for the Arachne bite."

Sora nodded and opened his mouth, and Akiko raised it to his lips, pouring it into his mouth and down his throat. Sora cringed and gagged; the potion had a slimy texture and grim taste.

"Ugh!" he said as it went down. "And I thought cough syrup was bad (1)!"

"Well, what did you expect?" Seiko said flatly. "Fruit punch?"

Akiko said nothing, but bound Sora's chest in bandages before placing a hand on the wound and casting Cure.

"That's all I can do for him right now," she said. "Take him to his room so he can rest."

Seiko helped Sora to his feet and walked him to his room, leaving Akiko to go outside to see Tai sitting on the porch, holding a still-crying Hikari.

"Well," she said, smiling playfully, "it's a good thing Mizuki isn't here to see this."

Tai chuckled as he and Hikari pulled away. "Oh, please. She knows she's the only girl for me."

Hikari managed a small giggle before turning to her mother. "How's Sora?"

"He's resting," Akiko replied. "We caught it just in time. He'll be fine."

Hikari placed a hand over her mouth as more tears swam to her eyes; she had never been so relieved in her life. "Thank God..." she said quietly. "Thank God he's okay..."

"See?" Tai said, patting her back. "I told you he'd be fine."

Hikari nodded. "Mama, can I see him?"

Akiko nodded. "But only for a few minutes."

"Thanks," Hikari said before turning to Tai. "And Tai... thank you."

Tai smiled. "Hey, what else are friends for?" He stood up. "Let me know how he's doing later."

Hikari nodded, and Tai took his leave. Akiko held the door open for Hikari, who went back to Sora's room to find him out cold on the futon; his face was still pale, but he looked peaceful in his sleep. Hikari took a seat next to him.

"Sora..." she said. "I don't know if you can hear me, but... thank you for saving my life. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Hearing her own words, Hikari placed a hand to her heart as she realized it at last. "It _is_ true... I..."

She couldn't deny it anymore; she had fallen in love with Sora. After a moment, she smiled and leaned over him. "Sora... thank you." she said before giving him a gentle kiss, smiling and placing a hand over her heart.

"Mmmm..." Hikari nearly jumped, and turned to see Sora shifting in his sleep. He smiled, and said one word: "Kairi?"

The smile was wiped from Hikari's face almost immediately; she gasped and teared up at that. "N-no..." She stood up and rushed out of the room, into Akiko.

"Hikari?" Akiko asked, sensing her daughter's distress. "What's wrong?" Hikari just hugged her mother and cried.

"What is it?" Akiko demanded, now worried. "What happened?! Is Sora-"

"No..." Hikari said. "He's fine. I-" Sobbing, she explained to her mother what happened in Sora's room.

"It took me until just now to realize it... but I love him, Mama. And now..." She broke down into more sobs and buried her face into Akiko's chest.

"Ohhh..." Akiko said sympathetically. "I see." She held her daughter as she cried.

"Shhh..." Akiko soothed, gently stroking Hikari's hair. "It's okay to cry, sweetheart. I know it hurts."

"W-what can I do?" Hikari asked, sniffling. "It hurts so much..."

Akiko lifted up Hikari's chin and looked into her daughter's eyes. "Well, you cry a little, and then you wait for the sun to come out. It always does (2). Everything will turn out well in the end," She gently wiped a tear from Hikari's cheek. "Just remember, my child. You don't always get the one you think you deserve."

Hikari sniffled again and wiped her eyes.

"Even if he doesn't share your feelings, you know he cares about you," Akiko continued. "After all, he _did_ jump in front of an Arachne to save your life."

Hikari smiled slightly. "Yeah... you're right."

Akiko gently kissed her forehead. "Sora will be fine. Why don't you take a walk? Clear your head?"

Hikari nodded. "Good idea." With that, she went, and Hiro approached Akiko, having heard everything.

Hiro sighed. "I had a feeling something like this would happen."

"It _was_ getting obvious," Akiko said. "I saw the look in her eyes whenever she saw him. It was the same way you looked at me when we first met."

Hiro blushed slightly, but nodded. "Yes," he said. "Our little girl's first love... and heartbreak."

"I don't blame her," Akiko replied. "There are few boys that have a noble sense of right and wrong like him. But she'll find the right one some day."

"Of that, I have no doubt." said Hiro.

At that moment, they heard a soft groan coming from Sora's room. Hiro entered to see the boy awake.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Sora shrugged. "Aside from the fact that my blood feels like liquid fire, I feel just peachy," he replied. "The real question is, how's Hikari?"

"She's just fine," Hiro replied. "She went for a walk to clear her head." He sighed. "She... blames herself for what happened to you."

Sora shook his head. "It wasn't her fault. I did what I had to do."

Hiro nodded. "I understand. Now, you just rest. We'll continue your training when you get your strength back."

"Okay," Sora said, laying back down. "Thanks."

As Hiro went to the door, he turned back to Sora. "No..." he said. "Thank _you_ for saving my daughter's life."

With that, he left.

* * *

 **Some time later...  
**

Hikari came back to the house just as Akiko was finishing making dinner: bowls of _sukiyaki_ (3).

"Welcome back," she said. "How was your walk?"

"Good," Hikari said. "It was just what I needed."

"Good to hear," Akiko replied. "Would you be up to taking Sora his dinner?"

Hikari nodded. "Yeah." Akiko handed her a bowl. Hikari approached the door to Sora's room and knocked.

"Come in," came the tired voice of Sora, and Hikari opened the door to see Sora sitting up, leaning against the wall. His coloration had returned, but he still looked exhausted.

"Hey," she said. "How are you feeling?"

Sora turned to her. "Okay," he said. "Tired."

"I brought you some food," Hikari said, handing the bowl to him. "Careful, it's hot."

Sora took the bowl, and Hikari sighed. "I'm so sorry you got hurt because of me."

Sora shook his head. "Don't be. I'd do it again if I had to."

Hikari nodded. "Thank you. I owe you my life."

Sora waved a hand, dismissing it. "It's no big deal. We're friends, aren't we?"

After a moment of silence, Hikari said, "Yeah." She decided to play it cool. "So, you know you were talking in your sleep earlier?"

Sora fidgeted. "I thought I grew out of that."

"Nope," Hikari said. "You were calling out for your friend Kairi."

Sora blushed, getting a giggle out of Hikari. "Dang it..."

They both laughed for a bit, and Sora winced and put a hand to his chest.

"Ow..." he said. "It hurts to laugh."

"Right. Sorry," Hikari said simply.

Sora leaned bag and began eating his dinner. "On another note, I never knew you were scared of spiders."

Hikari nodded slowly. "Yeah... I was attacked by a pack of Arachnes when I was five," she sighed. "I've never been able to shake that fear... I feel so helpless."

"Being scared is nothing to be ashamed of, Hikari," Sora replied. "It's what makes us human."

"Well, thanks," Hikari replied. "What are you scared of?"

"Losing my friends, and those I care about," Sora said. "It's why I do what I do."

"If there ever was an honorable fear, that would be it." Hikari blushed slightly and averted her eyes, holding back tears.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Hikari said. "I'm fine. I'll leave you to eat." She stood up and hurried out, rejoining her parents and wiping her eyes. After a minute, she managed a smile.

"Mama, you're right," she said. "Even if Sora doesn't love me back, that's okay. He cares about me as a friend... and that's good enough for me." Hiro and Akiko both smiled at that and hugged her.

"Just keep your heart and eyes open," Hiro said. "There _is_ someone out there for you... my little light (4)."

Hikari smiled. "Thank you, Papa."

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

(1): My personal opinion; you'd think with all the advancements on medical technology, they'd actually make a cough medicine that _doesn't_ taste like crap.

(2): A line taken from _The Sound of Music_.

(3): One of the most popular hot pot dishes among the Japanese, and undoubtedly the most well-known Japanese hot pot overseas, particularly in English-speaking parts of the world. _Sukiyaki_ hot pot is served with sliced beef, vegetables and tofu in a sweet sauce based on soy sauce, which is only used in small amounts, enough for the ingredients to merge in a shallow iron pot. Before being eaten, the ingredients are usually dipped in a small bowl of raw, beaten eggs.

(4): An old childhood nickname of Hikari's; in case you didn't know, her name means "light" in Japanese.

Well, that's how it happened. That's how Hikari fell in love with Sora.

As for her fear of spiders, that was a decision I made recently. A while back, one of my reviewers on _Darkest Storm_ said Hikari was starting to come off as a Mary Sue character. I added in that fear so Hikari _wouldn't_ be absolutely perfect or flawless.

The Arachne Heartless are based on the Arachne, spider enemies from _Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars;_ that game was made by Square Enix, then Squaresoft, back in 1996.

Last, but not least, this chapter is my birthday present to Kristen Verne; her birthday isn't for another few days, but oh well. And as I've said before, thank you, Kristen, for RP'ing this for me.

Please R&R. Until next time!


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